Ares Capital Corporation vs Morgan Stanley — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.96 (market cap $14.35B), while Morgan Stanley trades at $215.3 (market cap $338.50B). The key difference: Morgan Stanley is far larger — about 23.6× 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 | MS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $338.50B |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $228.42 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $143.88 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 2.14% |
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.
Morgan Stanley (MS) trades at $215.1, down 0.54% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and key support at $214. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $3.46 surpassing expectations of $2.89. Revenue growth accelerated to $66.0B in 2025, and net income margin improved to 25.56%. Recent news highlights Morgan Stanley's role in leading Anthropic's IPO and expanding AI integration in wealth management.
The outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $239.58, implying 11% upside. Strengths include robust profitability and strategic initiatives, but risks involve volatile cash flows from operations and high leverage. Analyst sentiment is bullish with 56% buy ratings, though investors should monitor debt levels and market volatility.
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 →Morgan Stanley is a global investment bank whose history, through its legacy firms, can be traced back to 1924. The company has institutional securities, wealth management, and investment management segments. The company had about $5 trillion of client assets as well as over 70,000 employees at the end of 2021. Approximately 50% of the company's net revenue is from its institutional securities business, with the remainder coming from wealth and investment management. The company derives about 30% of its total revenue outside the Americas.
Read more on MS →