Ares Capital Corporation vs GSK plc — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.9 (market cap $14.27B), while GSK plc trades at $50.45 (market cap $101.13B). The key difference: GSK plc is far larger — about 7.1× Ares Capital Corporation's market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays the higher dividend (9.66%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | GSK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.27B | $101.13B |
Sector | Financials | Health |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $61.18 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $38.96 |
Dividend Yield | 9.66% | 3.61% |
Enterprise Value | — | $121.57B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ARCC trades at $19.87, down 0.55% with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages. The company reported $1.51B revenue and $1.30B net income for 2025, maintaining an 86.25% profit margin. Recent earnings show slight misses against expectations, but dividend coverage remains stable at 104% with a 9.9% yield. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 24 buy ratings and a $19.63 price target.
The stock presents income appeal with its high dividend yield and stable payout history, though recent earnings compression and rising non-accruals to 2.4% signal credit quality concerns. Private credit sector strain and potential rate cuts pose medium-term risks to net investment income, which is 71% variable-rate exposed.
GSK trades at $50.27, down 3.62% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including a P/E of 16.02 and net income margin of 14.52%. Recent quarters show earnings beats, and the company announced a $2.52 billion cost-saving plan to boost its drug pipeline. Cash flow from operations remains robust at $7.74 billion for 2025.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus leans hold (55.18%) amid valuation concerns, but revenue growth and pipeline investments support long-term potential. Key risks include competitive pressures and regulatory uncertainty, as highlighted by recent news on vaccine policies. The stock offers a dividend yield with payments scheduled through 2026.
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 →In the pharmaceutical industry, GSK ranks as one of the largest firms by total sales. The company wields its might across several therapeutic classes, including respiratory, cancer, and antiviral, as well as vaccines. GSK uses joint ventures to gain additional scale in certain markets like HIV.
Read more on GSK →