Ares Capital Corporation vs Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.82 (market cap $14.34B), while Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co trades at $56.25 (market cap $72.01B). The key difference: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co is far larger — about 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 | HPE | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | $72.01B |
Sector | Financials | Technology |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $56.14 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $20.01 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 1.05% |
Enterprise Value | — | $87.96B |
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.
HPE stock trades at $54.67, up 2.72% recently, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but overbought RSI readings. The company has beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS expected at $0.925. Revenue grew to $34.30B in 2025, though net income fell sharply to $57M due to high investing cash outflows. Analysts maintain a consensus buy rating with a $69.81 price target, citing AI infrastructure demand.
The outlook is positive given AI-driven upgrades and institutional buying, but risks include volatile cash flows, elevated debt, and margin pressure. Investors should weigh strong analyst sentiment against execution risks in a competitive market.
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 →Hewlett Packard Enterprise is an information technology vendor that provides hardware and software to enterprises. Its primary product lines are compute servers, storage arrays, and networking equipment.
Read more on HPE →