Ares Capital Corporation vs Realty Income Corp — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.95 (market cap $14.35B), while Realty Income Corp trades at $61.98 (market cap $58.56B). The key difference: Realty Income Corp is far larger — about 4.1× 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 | O | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $58.56B |
Sector | Financials | Real Estate |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $67.56 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $55.93 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 5.25% |
Enterprise Value | — | $89.19B |
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.
Realty Income (O) trades at $62.51, up 0.24% today, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but bullish oscillators like RSI. The REIT reported Q2 2026 AFFO of $1.09 per share, matching estimates, and raised full-year guidance, supported by a 98.8% occupancy rate. Recent news highlights its high dividend yield and 115th consecutive quarterly increase, alongside a $6 billion data center joint venture announced in August 2026.
Outlook: Strong dividend growth and strategic expansion into data centers offer upside, but high P/E of 45.63 and recent EPS misses pose valuation risks. Analysts target $67.13 consensus, implying modest growth, with debt-to-asset ratio rising to 39.93% in 2025 signaling financial leverage concerns.
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 →Realty Income owns roughly 11,400 properties, most of which are freestanding, single-tenant, triple-net-leased retail properties. Its properties are located in 49 states and Puerto Rico and are leased to 250 tenants from 47 industries. Recent acquisitions have added industrial, office, manufacturing, and distribution properties, which make up roughly 17% of revenue.
Read more on O →