Ares Capital Corporation vs Franklin Resources, Inc. — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.77 (market cap $14.34B), while Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.58 (market cap $16.95B). The key difference: Franklin Resources, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays the higher dividend (9.61%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | BEN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | $16.95B |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $35.77 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $21.18 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 3.96% |
Enterprise Value | — | $29.90B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ARCC trades at $19.98, down 0.15% on the day, with a P/E of 14.9 and P/B of 1.03. Recent quarterly earnings have consistently missed expectations, with Q2 2026 EPS of $0.47 falling short of the $0.4731 estimate. Technical indicators show a bullish moving average signal but bearish oscillators, with RSI at 78.37 suggesting overbought conditions. The company maintains a strong dividend yield of approximately 9.6% with consistent $0.48 quarterly payments.
While ARCC offers attractive income with its high dividend yield and strong analyst support (24 buy ratings), investors face risks from declining revenue trends and compressed earnings. The stock trades near consensus price targets, limiting near-term upside potential. Credit quality concerns in the private lending sector and potential interest rate sensitivity present additional headwinds for this business development company.
Franklin Resources (BEN) trades at $33.52, down 0.74% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $0.72, beating estimates, and achieved record AUM of $1.80 trillion as of July 31, 2026, driven by strong inflows and diversification efforts. Valuation ratios include a P/E of 22.69 and P/S of 1.85, while profitability metrics show a net income margin of 8.72%.
The outlook is positive with earnings beats and AUM growth, but risks include weaker ROE of 1.34% and net cash outflows. Analyst consensus price target is $36.50, suggesting potential upside, supported by a 'Buy' rating from 22% of analysts. Investors should monitor margin expansion and competitive pressures in the asset management sector.
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 →Franklin Resources provides investment services for individual and institutional investors. At the end of August 2022, Franklin had $1.388 trillion in managed assets, composed primarily of equity (32%), fixed-income (38%), multi-asset/balanced (10%) funds, alternatives (16%), and money market funds (4%). Distribution tends to be weighted more toward retail investors (49% of AUM) investors, as opposed to institutional (49%) and high-net-worth (2%) clients. Franklin is also one of the more global firms of the U.S.-based asset managers with more than 35% of its AUM invested in global/international strategies and 25% of managed assets sourced from clients domiciled outside the United States.
Read more on BEN →