Ares Capital Corporation vs VanEck Gold Miners ETF — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $18.84 (market cap $13.48B), while VanEck Gold Miners ETF trades at $73.75. The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation pays a 10.22% dividend while VanEck Gold Miners ETF pays none, and VanEck Gold Miners ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Ares Capital Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | GDX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.48B | — |
Sector | Financials | — |
52-Week High | $23.25 | $115.84 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $51.15 |
Dividend Yield | 10.22% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Ares Capital (ARCC) trades at $18.78, up 2.01% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong analyst support. The stock shows a P/E of 11.52 and P/B of 0.96, trading below the consensus price target of $20.58. Recent earnings have missed expectations, with Q2 2026 results pending, while revenue declined to $1.51B in 2025 from $1.7B in 2024. A dividend of $0.48 is scheduled for payment on June 30, 2026, supporting income appeal amid mixed sentiment.
ARCC presents a value opportunity with a high dividend yield and undervaluation relative to analyst targets, but faces headwinds from earnings misses and a bearish technical outlook. Risks include revenue volatility and competitive pressures in the BDC space, though institutional buy ratings suggest confidence in recovery potential. Investors should weigh income stability against growth challenges.
GDX trades at $75.53, down 0.32% with a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The ETF faces near-term pressure from gold price volatility but maintains strong fundamentals with record-high free cash flow yields and attractive valuations at five-year lows according to Seeking Alpha analysis from June 25, 2026. Recent portfolio addition of Aya Gold & Silver enhances diversification.
Long-term outlook remains positive given gold's role as a portfolio diversifier and central bank demand. Key risks include gold price sensitivity and mining cost pressures. Analyst sentiment is mixed with some seeing current levels as a buying opportunity while technical indicators suggest caution in the near term.
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 →The fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks and depositary receipts of companies involved in the gold mining industry. The index is a modified market-capitalization weighted index primarily comprised of publicly traded companies involved in the mining for gold and silver. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on GDX →