Ariel Investments

Ariel Investments

Active value asset manager across markets

Overview

Ariel Investments is a financial services firm that uses value investing to manage assets for individuals, institutions, and retirement plans. It identifies high-quality, undervalued medium-sized companies and builds active value funds that invest in these stocks both in the U.S. and abroad, including emerging markets. The funds are run by portfolio managers who select stocks they believe are trading below their intrinsic value, then hold them to capture long-term value. The company earns money from management fees based on assets under management and from performance fees tied to portfolio returns. It differentiates itself by pursuing a contrarian, long-term approach that combines a diversified team and a diversified portfolio strategy, focusing on mid-sized and global opportunities rather than only large-cap stocks. The goal is to deliver steady, risk-adjusted financial results for clients by sticking to disciplined value investing and broad diversification across people and markets.

About Ariel Investments

Simplify's Rating
Why Ariel Investments is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Financial Services

Company Size

N/A

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

1983

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Manages $13.5B AUM with 95.4% employee ownership aligning interests as of June 2025.
  • Sydney office expansion enhances global value and international strategies.
  • Ariel Alternatives oversees $1.48B private equity including Project Black.

What critics are saying

  • Concentrated portfolios suffer drawdowns if value rotation reverses in 12-24 months.
  • Small/mid-cap illiquidity forces fire-sale losses during market stress in 12-18 months.
  • Passive ETFs erode active fees as clients shift to Vanguard VBR in 6-12 months.

What makes Ariel Investments unique

  • Contrarian value investing targets undervalued small- and mid-cap companies with strong intrinsic value.
  • Ariel Emerging Markets Value strategy hedges currency using derivatives and forwards.
  • Project Level Fund invests $250M in women's sports as undervalued growth sector.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Paid Parental Leave

Paid Sick Leave

Company News

National Football League
Mar 31st, 2026
NFL partners with TMRW Sports and world-class investors and athletes to launch new professional flag football league

The NFL announced today that it is partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men. The new professional league will launch with support from a broad and influential investor pool, including NFL clu

CNBC
Feb 3rd, 2026
Ariel Investments raises $250M for women's sports fund Project Level

Ariel Investments has raised $250 million for its Project Level Fund, which focuses on investing in women's sports. Co-CEO Mellody Hobson discussed the fundraising on CNBC's Squawk Box, describing women's sports as "the small caps of sports". The fund represents a significant investment in the growing women's sports sector, which has seen increased attention from investors and media coverage in recent years. Hobson also addressed broader market trends during the interview. Project Level Fund aims to capitalise on opportunities in women's athletics, a market segment that has historically been undervalued compared to men's sports but shows substantial growth potential.

Insider Monkey
Aug 22nd, 2025
Ariel Small Cap Value Added Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) to Its Portfolio in Q2

Ariel Investments, an investment management company, released its "Ariel Small Cap Value Strategy" second-quarter 2025 investor letter.

PR Newswire
Jan 7th, 2025
Signvideo By Sorenson Partners With Rspca: A Lifeline For Deaf Animal Lovers

LONDON, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has partnered with SignVideo by Sorenson to provide a vital communication lifeline for Deaf individuals in the UK. This groundbreaking partnership aims to ensure that Deaf individuals can report animal cruelty and connect with the RSPCA directly, using British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters in real-time."We are honored to partner with the RSPCA to ensure Deaf individuals in the UK have communication access that can contribute to animal welfare," said Matthew King, General Manager of Sorenson in the UK. "This partnership aligns with our mission to provide accessible communication solutions and connect people beyond words in every situation."Deaf individuals can video call the RSPCA's emergency line to report animal suffering, cruelty, or neglect via the SignVideo app or on the RSPCA website by selecting "British Sign Language Support." This service is available 365 days of the year. Between April and September this line is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m

PR Newswire
Dec 17th, 2024
Sorenson Celebrates Landmark Year In Sign Language Interpreter Training And Education

Year marked by innovation, impact, and excellence in training interpreters across the U.S. and CanadaSALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sorenson, the world's largest private employer of sign language interpreters, announced that in 2024, the company provided an impressive 30,000 hours of instruction to more than 4,000 interpreters, both within Sorenson and to emerging professional interpreters in the community. Additionally, Sorenson successfully conducted more than 700 training sessions covering 120 diverse topics. These trainings ranged from onboarding programs for interpreter new hires to advanced workshops on ethical decision-making, self-care strategies, and linguistic mastery in multilingual environments."This year, our education and professional development team outdid themselves and set new standards in interpreter education and professional growth," said Paget Alves, CEO of Sorenson, which connects more than 140 million calls annually. "Our goal is to equip interpreters across the entire interpreting community with the skills they need to provide outstanding service to Deaf people in diverse and high-stakes settings including Video Relay Service (VRS), Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), and Community Interpreting."Sorenson provides programs and initiatives that advance career paths in the field of interpreting, including the Sorenson Deaf Interpreter Academy (DIA) which offers professional-level training designed to develop unique skills and knowledge for Deaf interpreters

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