Ares Capital Corporation vs Meta Platforms Inc — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $20.01 (market cap $14.35B), while Meta Platforms Inc trades at $600.22 (market cap $1.52T). The key difference: Meta Platforms Inc is far larger — about 105.9× 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 | META | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $1.52T |
Sector | Financials | Media |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $790.00 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $525.72 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 0.35% |
Volume | — | 24,093,972 |
Enterprise Value | — | $1.54T |
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.
META trades at $594.92, up 0.48% with strong fundamentals including 81.75% gross margins and 29.84% net income margin. Recent Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations ($10.44 vs $6.70), though Q2 2026 missed. Technical indicators show bearish momentum with RSI at 96.23 suggesting overbought conditions. The company launched Muse Spark AI model and faces ongoing legal challenges regarding youth addiction lawsuits.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus price target of $761.95 (28% upside) and 79% buy ratings. Key risks include regulatory lawsuits, aggressive AI capex spending ($102B in 2025), and competitive pressures. Revenue growth continues at 22% year-over-year to $201B, supporting long-term investment thesis despite near-term technical weakness.
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 →Meta Platforms Inc., doing business as Meta and previously known as Facebook Inc. It's a company that acts as a parent platform for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp, Oculus and other subsidiaries. Among these platforms, Facebook is the number one social media platform in terms of the number of active users.
Read more on META →