Ares Capital Corporation vs McKesson Corporation — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.95 (market cap $14.35B), while McKesson Corporation trades at $899.06 (market cap $102.58B). The key difference: McKesson Corporation is far larger — about 7.1× 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 | MCK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $102.58B |
Sector | Financials | Health |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $995.69 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $659.01 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 0.43% |
Enterprise Value | — | $109.12B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ARCC trades at $20.01, up 1.99% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. Recent earnings show Q2 2026 EPS of $0.47, slightly below the $0.4731 estimate, continuing a trend of minor misses. Revenue declined to $1.51B in 2025 from $1.7B in 2024, with net income margin at 81.77%. The stock offers a high dividend yield, with consistent payouts highlighted in recent news.
Outlook is mixed: strong analyst buy consensus (75%) and a stable dividend history support income investors, but declining revenue and tight dividend coverage pose risks. Price target consensus is $19.63, below the current price, suggesting limited upside. Macro risks in private credit, per WSJ on August 9, 2026, add caution.
McKesson (MCK) trades at $869.58, down 0.14% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The stock shows strong fundamentals with revenue growth to $359.05B in 2025 and consistent earnings beats, including Q2 2026 EPS of $9.93 versus $9.56 expected. Valuation metrics like P/E of 23.33 and P/S of 0.26 indicate reasonable pricing relative to peers. Recent news highlights Q1 2027 results exceeding expectations and raised full-year guidance, driven by specialty drug and oncology growth.
Outlook remains positive with 80% analyst buy ratings and a $1,000 consensus price target, suggesting 15% upside. Risks include thin net margins of 1.12% and high liabilities at $76.83B, which could pressure equity during economic downturns. Investors should focus on execution of raised guidance and margin improvements from cost efficiencies.
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 →McKesson is a leading wholesaler of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health, the three account for well over 90% of the U.S. pharmaceutical wholesale industry. McKesson is currently divesting from its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution in Europe and Canada in order to redeploy capital to strategic growth areas in the U.S. (oncology network and ecosystem, and biopharma services). Additionally, the company supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities and provides a variety of technology solutions for pharmacies.
Read more on MCK →