Ares Capital Corporation vs H2O America — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.87 (market cap $14.34B), while H2O America trades at $62.3 (market cap $2.61B). The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation is far larger — about 5.5× H2O America's market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays the higher dividend (9.61%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | HTO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | $2.61B |
Sector | Financials | Technology |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $65.43 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $44.44 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 2.83% |
Enterprise Value | — | $4.40B |
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.
HTO trades at $62.57, up 2.16% with bullish technical signals and strong analyst support. The stock shows solid fundamentals with 12.91% net margin and consistent earnings beats in recent quarters. Recent transformative acquisitions in Texas water utilities drive growth potential, though execution risks and share dilution from equity issuance present challenges. Technical indicators show bullish momentum with key resistance at $63 and support at $61.
Outlook remains positive with 83% analyst buy ratings and $69.50 consensus target offering 11% upside. Dividend sustainability and acquisition integration are key watchpoints. Risks include execution challenges from Quadvest deal and potential EPS dilution from recent 11M share issuance.
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 →H2O America is a utility company that provides essential water and wastewater services, primarily in the United States. The company operates a network of regulated water and wastewater systems, focusing on responsible resource management and high-quality service delivery. HTO aims to expand its operational footprint through acquisitions and internal growth, serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
Read more on HTO →