Ares Management Prices European Direct Lending CLO II at Over €300 Million
Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) (“Ares”), a leading global alternative investment manager, announced today the pricing of its second European Direct Lending Collateralized Loan Obligation, Ares European Direct Lending CLO II (“EDL CLO II”), at over €300 million.
Consistent with the underlying composition of its predecessor, EDL CLO II is a diversified CLO comprised entirely of directly originated and actively managed loans issued by over 70 middle-market companies predominantly based in Western Europe and primarily operating in resilient industries. The instrument is weighted towards senior-secured floating rate loans and will be rated by S&P and KBRA. Ares believes EDL CLO II is among the first multi-currency middle-market CLOs in Europe.
“We are pleased to successfully price our second European Direct Lending CLO in less than 12 months as we continue building on our nearly 20 years of corporate direct lending experience in Europe,” said Michael Dennis, Partner and Co-Head of European Credit. “Looking ahead, we intend to deepen our culture of innovation to deliver compelling solutions to our investors and borrowers.”
“Our investors’ needs are evolving and we are pleased to serve them by offering a range of solutions and the depth of capabilities required to support their objectives,” said Andrea Fernandez, Partner and Chief Operating Officer of European Direct Lending. “We believe the strength of demand for EDL CLO II is a testament to our experience in structuring and managing bespoke vehicles in pursuit of differentiated returns.”
“The pricing of EDL CLO II comes at a time when our leading risk and portfolio management capabilities remain central to our ability to achieve high quality alpha, and we look forward to building on the trust of our investors and borrowers,” said Matt Theodorakis, Partner and Co-Head of European Direct Lending.
Ares’ European Direct Lending strategy comprises approximately 100 investment professionals operating across seven offices in Europe and managed over $84 billion in assets as of December 31st, 2025. Since its inception in 2007, the European Direct Lending business has completed over 420 investments totaling over €80 billion. In addition to this, Ares is one of the largest and most experienced CLO managers globally, having issued 108 CLOs since 1999, of which 72 are active today. As of December 31st, 2025, Ares’ CLO portfolio represented over $39 billion of the nearly $407 billion of assets managed across the Ares Credit Group.
About Ares Management Corporation
Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to advance our stakeholders’ long-term goals by providing flexible capital that supports businesses and creates value for our investors and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of December 31, 2025, Ares Management Corporation’s global platform had nearly $623 billion of assets under management, with operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com.
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