Ares Capital Corporation vs Goldman Sachs Group Inc — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.95 (market cap $14.35B), while Goldman Sachs Group Inc trades at $1,034.73 (market cap $301.22B). The key difference: Goldman Sachs Group Inc is far larger — about 21× 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 | GS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $301.22B |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $1.15K |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $715.95 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 1.93% |
Volume | — | 2,592,735 |
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.
Goldman Sachs (GS) trades at $1,034.41, down 0.5% on the day, with a neutral technical signal. The company shows strong fundamental momentum with three consecutive quarterly EPS beats and revenue growth accelerating to $58.3B in 2025. Analyst consensus is mixed with 40% buy ratings but a $1,160 price target suggesting 12% upside potential. Recent news highlights Goldman's leadership role in major upcoming IPOs including Anthropic, SpaceX, and OpenAI.
The outlook remains positive given Goldman's positioning in the upcoming AI IPO wave and strong investment banking pipeline. Key risks include volatile cash flow patterns with negative operating cash flow in recent periods and market sensitivity to interest rate changes. The stock appears reasonably valued at 16x P/E with 31.7% net margins supporting further upside if earnings momentum continues.
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 Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a bank holding company, is a global investment banking and securities firm specializing in investment banking, trading and principal investments, asset management and securities services. The Company provides services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net worth individuals.
Read more on GS →