Ares Capital Corporation vs iShares 3 7 Year Treasury Bond ETF — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.87 (market cap $14.34B), while iShares 3 7 Year Treasury Bond ETF trades at $116.55. The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation pays a 9.61% dividend while iShares 3 7 Year Treasury Bond ETF pays none, and Ares Capital Corporation is trading nearer its 52-week high, iShares 3 7 Year Treasury Bond ETF nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | IEI | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | — |
Sector | Financials | Fixed Income |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $120.72 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $116.16 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | — |
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.
IEI, the iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF, trades at $116.565, up 0.27% today, with technical indicators showing a bearish trend from moving averages and neutral oscillators. Recent news highlights institutional activity, including Bank of America increasing its stake by 39.7% in the latest quarter (Defense World, 2026-08-01). The fund maintains a conservative profile with regular dividend distributions, appealing to income-focused investors amid volatile bond markets.
The outlook for IEI is cautious due to rising Treasury yields and inflation concerns, posing risks from potential Fed rate hikes. However, its government backing and lower volatility offer stability for risk-averse portfolios, with income generation from dividends remaining a key attraction despite macroeconomic headwinds.
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 →IEI tracks the ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index, offering exposure to intermediate-term government debt. It serves as a conservative middle ground in the Treasury yield curve, providing higher yields than short-term bills with less volatility than long-term bonds.
Read more on IEI →