CCLFX vs. ARES

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (CCLFX) and Ares Management Corporation (ARES).

CCLFX is managed by Cliffwater. It was launched on Mar 6, 2019.

Performance

CCLFX vs. ARES - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (CCLFX) and Ares Management Corporation (ARES). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CCLFX vs. ARES - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
CCLFX Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund	0.96%	8.93%	12.62%	12.66%	2.32%	10.38%	8.73%	2.12%
ARES Ares Management Corporation	-31.58%	-5.72%	52.68%	79.52%	-12.75%	77.75%	37.37%	38.70%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CCLFX achieves a 0.96% return, which is significantly higher than ARES's -31.58% return.

CCLFX

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.29%
• YTD: 0.96%
• 6M: 3.09%
• 1Y: 7.64%
• 3Y*: 10.90%
• 5Y*: 8.92%
• 10Y*: —

ARES

• 1D: 1.34%
• 1M: -1.27%
• YTD: -31.58%
• 6M: -30.05%
• 1Y: -22.71%
• 3Y*: 12.80%
• 5Y*: 17.27%
• 10Y*: 26.86%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

CCLFX vs. ARES — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CCLFX

CCLFX Risk / Return Rank: 100
CCLFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
CCLFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
CCLFX Omega Ratio Rank: 100
CCLFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
CCLFX Martin Ratio Rank: 100

ARES

ARES Risk / Return Rank: 22
ARES Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
ARES Sortino Ratio Rank: 21
ARES Omega Ratio Rank: 21
ARES Calmar Ratio Rank: 28
ARES Martin Ratio Rank: 21

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CCLFX vs. ARES - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (CCLFX) and Ares Management Corporation (ARES). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CCLFX	ARES	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	8.00	-0.49	+8.49
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	16.02	-0.43	+16.44
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	5.88	0.94	+4.94
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	16.71	-0.44	+17.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	101.68	-1.13	+102.81
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CCLFX vs. ARES - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CCLFX Sharpe Ratio is 8.00, which is higher than the ARES Sharpe Ratio of -0.49. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CCLFX and ARES, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CCLFX	ARES	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.00	-0.49	+8.49
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	5.17	0.47	+4.70
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.74	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	4.54	0.60	+3.93

Correlation

The correlation between CCLFX and ARES is 0.09, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

CCLFX vs. ARES - Dividend Comparison

CCLFX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 10.37%, more than ARES's 5.09% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CCLFX Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund	10.37%	10.47%	11.27%	10.96%	3.96%	7.03%	6.90%	0.61%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
ARES Ares Management Corporation	5.09%	3.29%	2.10%	2.59%	3.57%	2.31%	3.40%	3.59%	7.50%	5.65%	4.32%	6.81%

Drawdowns

CCLFX vs. ARES - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CCLFX drawdown since its inception was -3.91%, smaller than the maximum ARES drawdown of -49.73%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CCLFX and ARES.

Drawdown Indicators

	CCLFX	ARES	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-3.91%	-49.73%	+45.82%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.46%	-49.05%	+48.59%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-2.25%	-49.73%	+47.48%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-49.73%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.09%	-42.39%	+42.30%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.16%	-10.90%	+10.74%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.08%	19.30%	-19.22%

Volatility

CCLFX vs. ARES - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund (CCLFX) is 0.32%, while Ares Management Corporation (ARES) has a volatility of 14.86%. This indicates that CCLFX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ARES based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CCLFX	ARES	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.32%	14.86%	-14.54%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.65%	33.31%	-32.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.97%	46.21%	-45.24%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.74%	36.85%	-35.11%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.89%	36.36%	-34.47%