RJF vs ARES Comparison

Raymond James Financial is a diversified financial services firm that provides wealth management, investment banking, asset management, and capital markets services to individuals, corporations, and municipalities. The firm maintains an extensive catalogue of products and services across its business lines. However, the wealth management franchise generates the bulk of its revenues and earnings through a vast network of nearly 8,800 independent and employee-affiliated advisors, who collectively manage over $1.7 trillion in client assets as of fiscal year-end 2025. While Raymond James maintains a global footprint, the company derives over 90% of its revenue, and an even larger percentage of its operating income, from the United States.

Ares Management is one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers, with $595.7 billion in total assets under management, or AUM, including $367.6 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of September 2025. The company has four main business segments: private credit ($391.5 billion in total AUM and $240.2 billion in fee-earning AUM), private equity, ($25.1 billion/$11.8 billion), real estate/real assets ($132.4 billion/$80.5 billion), and other alternatives ($46.7 billion/$35.1 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.