Ares Capital Corporation vs Gilead Sciences, Inc. — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.94 (market cap $14.35B), while Gilead Sciences, Inc. trades at $135.89 (market cap $164.99B). The key difference: Gilead Sciences, Inc. is far larger — about 11.5× 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 | GILD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $164.99B |
Sector | Financials | Health |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $155.80 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $110.56 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 2.47% |
Enterprise Value | — | $188.06B |
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.
Gilead Sciences (GILD) trades at $133.21, up 1.8% in the last session, with a bullish technical outlook and strong analyst support. Recent Q2 2026 results showed a revenue beat despite a net loss driven by acquisition costs, with HIV drug sales and pipeline progress fueling raised full-year guidance. The stock exhibits robust cash flow from operations and a high gross margin, though negative net income and elevated debt levels present fundamental concerns.
The outlook is positive based on raised sales guidance and pipeline momentum, but risks include patent cliffs for key HIV drugs by the mid-2030s and integration challenges from recent acquisitions. With a consensus price target of $151.22 implying 13.5% upside, Wall Street sentiment is bullish, though investors should weigh growth prospects against execution and regulatory risks.
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 →Gilead Sciences develops and markets therapies to treat life-threatening infectious diseases, with the core of its portfolio focused on HIV and hepatitis B and C. The acquisitions of Corus Pharma, Myogen, CV Therapeutics, Arresto Biosciences, and Calistoga have broadened this focus to include pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Gilead's acquisition of Pharmasset brought rights to hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, which is also part of combination drug Harvoni, and the Kite, Forty Seven, and Immunomedics acquisitions boost Gilead's exposure to cell therapy and noncell therapy in oncology.
Read more on GILD →