FCNCA vs ARES Comparison

First Citizens is a US regional bank with total assets of around $236 billion as of March 31, 2026. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, First Citizens' largest markets are North Carolina, South Carolina, and California. The bank has a track record of acquiring troubled banks from the FDIC, such as Silicon Valley Bridge Bank in 2023, which doubled its asset base. First Citizens offers products and services across retail, commercial, wealth management, and railcar leasing. First Citizens derived over 95% of its earnings from banking and less than 5% from railcar leasing in 2025.

Ares Management is one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers, with $622.5 billion in total assets under management, or AUM, including $384.9 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of 2025. The company has four main business segments: credit strategies ($406.9 billion in total AUM and $249.8 billion in fee-earning AUM), private equity, ($25.3 billion/$14.4 billion), real estate/real assets ($139.1 billion/$84.1 billion), and other alternatives ($51.2 billion/$36.6 billion). The firm primarily serves institutional investors (80% of AUM) and high-net-worth individuals (20%). Ares operates through more than 35 offices in over 15 countries around the globe.