Ares Capital Corporation vs KKR & Co Inc — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.85 (market cap $14.34B), while KKR & Co Inc trades at $110.15 (market cap $99.61B). The key difference: KKR & Co Inc is far larger — about 6.9× 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 | KKR | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | $99.61B |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $149.34 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $83.88 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 0.7% |
Enterprise Value | — | $22.17B |
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.
KKR trades at $103.83, up 0.99% with strong bullish momentum. The stock shows robust earnings performance with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.63 beating estimates of $1.43, continuing a trend of positive surprises. Recent acquisitions including Integer Holdings ($4.3B) and Medicover India ($1.39B) demonstrate aggressive growth strategy. Analyst consensus remains overwhelmingly bullish with 24 buy ratings and $127.22 price target, representing 22.5% upside potential from current levels.
KKR presents compelling investment opportunity with strong fundamentals, consistent earnings beats, and strategic acquisitions driving growth. Key risks include integration challenges from recent deals, market volatility affecting asset management fees, and potential regulatory scrutiny of private equity operations. The company's $19.2B infrastructure fund closure signals strong institutional confidence in long-term strategy.
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 →KKR is one of the world's largest alternative asset managers, with $490.7 billion in total assets under management, including $384.5 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of June 2022. The company has two core segments: asset management (which includes private markets--private equity, credit, infrastructure, energy and real estate--and public markets--primarily credit and hedge/investment fund platforms) and insurance (following the February 2021 purchase of a 61.5% economic stake in Global Atlantic Financial Group, which is engaged in retirement/annuity and life insurance lines as well as reinsurance). On the asset management side, private markets account for 50% of fee-earning AUM and 70% of base management fees, while public markets account for 50% and 30%, respectively.
Read more on KKR →