Appian Corp vs Ares Capital Corporation — how do they compare? Appian Corp trades at $35.5 (market cap $2.55B), while Ares Capital Corporation trades at $20.01 (market cap $14.35B). The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation is far larger — about 5.6× Appian Corp's market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays a 9.61% dividend while Appian Corp pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APPN | ARCC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $2.55B | $14.35B |
Sector | Technology | Financials |
52-Week High | $45.64 | $22.68 |
52-Week Low | $18.72 | $17.45 |
Enterprise Value | $2.68B | — |
Dividend Yield | — | 9.61% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Appian (APPN) surged 13.91% to $34.64 following strong Q2 2026 earnings that exceeded expectations, with cloud subscription revenue growing 23% year-over-year. The stock trades near its pivot point of $34 with bullish technical signals from moving averages, though RSI levels suggest potential overbought conditions. Revenue growth has accelerated from $617M in 2024 to $727M in 2025, with the company achieving its first profitable year with $1.23M net income after several years of losses.
Appian demonstrates improving fundamentals with consistent revenue growth and recent profitability, though negative equity and high debt levels present risks. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 31.58% buy ratings but a consensus price target of $32.50 below current levels. The AI-driven workflow platform shows strong enterprise adoption, but investors should weigh growth potential against valuation concerns and competitive pressures in the low-code automation space.
ARCC trades at $20.01, up 1.99% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. Recent earnings show Q2 2026 EPS of $0.47, slightly below the $0.4731 estimate, continuing a trend of minor misses. Revenue declined to $1.51B in 2025 from $1.7B in 2024, with net income margin at 81.77%. The stock offers a high dividend yield, with consistent payouts highlighted in recent news.
Outlook is mixed: strong analyst buy consensus (75%) and a stable dividend history support income investors, but declining revenue and tight dividend coverage pose risks. Price target consensus is $19.63, below the current price, suggesting limited upside. Macro risks in private credit, per WSJ on August 9, 2026, add caution.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Appian Corp provides a low-code software development platform as a service that enables organizations to rapidly develop powerful and unique applications. With its platform, organizations can rapidly and easily design, build and implement powerful, enterprise-grade custom applications through intuitive, visual interface with little or no coding required. The company's customers use applications built on its low-code platform to launch new business lines, automate vital employee workflows, manage complex trading platforms, accelerate drug development and build procurement systems. The group generates a majority of its revenue from the domestic market. It serves various industries such as education.
Read more on APPN →Ares Capital Corp is a United States-based closed-ended specialty finance company. Its investment objective is to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. The company focuses on investing primarily in U.S. middle-market companies with investment opportunities as well as in larger companies. Its portfolio comprises of first lien senior secured loans, second lien senior secured loans, and mezzanine debt (subordinated unsecured loan), which may include equity components that are diversified by industry and sector. The company may invest in preferred and common equity investments to a lesser proportion. Its revenue mainly consists of interest and dividend income received from the investment made.
Read more on ARCC →