Ares Capital Corporation vs ASML Holding NV — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.96 (market cap $14.35B), while ASML Holding NV trades at $1,807.75 (market cap $671.92B). The key difference: ASML Holding NV is far larger — about 46.8× Ares Capital Corporation's market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays the higher dividend (9.61%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | ASML | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $671.92B |
Sector | Financials | Technology |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $1.99K |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $721.31 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 0.52% |
Enterprise Value | — | $665.45B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
ASML trades at $1,740.99, up 2.15% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong support near $1,721. The stock shows robust fundamentals with 2025 revenue of $32.67B and net income of $9.61B, though high valuation ratios like a P/E of 59.29 indicate premium pricing. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q1 and Q2 2026, and analyst consensus is bullish with a $2,390 price target.
Outlook remains positive driven by AI demand for semiconductor equipment, but risks include geopolitical tensions with China and high valuation sensitivity. Institutional sentiment is strong with 56.82% buy ratings, though competition and export curbs pose challenges to growth sustainability.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Founded in 1984 and based in the Netherlands, ASML is the leader in photolithography systems used in the manufacturing of semiconductors. Photolithography is the process in which a light source is used to expose circuit patterns from a photomask onto a semiconductor wafer. The latest technological advances in this segment allow chipmakers to continually increase the number of transistors on the same area of silicon, with lithography historically representing a meaningful portion of the cost of making cutting-edge chips. Chipmakers require next-generation EUV lithography tools from ASML to continue past the 5-nanometer process node. ASML's products are used at every major semiconductor manufacturer, including Intel, Samsung, and TSMC.
Read more on ASML →