Ares Capital Corporation vs Oxford Lane Capital Corp — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.96 (market cap $14.35B), while Oxford Lane Capital Corp trades at $9.4 (market cap $905.21M). The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation is far larger — about 15.9× Oxford Lane Capital Corp's market cap, and Oxford Lane Capital Corp pays the higher dividend (25.89%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | OXLC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $905.21M |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $18.75 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $8.15 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 25.89% |
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.
OXLC trades at $9.20, up 0.44% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but a neutral reading from oscillators. The stock's valuation shows a low price-to-book ratio of 0.88, yet profitability metrics are deeply negative with an ROE of -39.16%. Recent earnings have consistently missed expectations, and the company has declared a series of $0.20 dividends through 2026. Cash flow from operations was negative $703.80M in 2025, offset by financing activities.
The outlook is clouded by severe fundamental deterioration, including a projected revenue collapse and net loss for 2026. While the high dividend yield and discounted P/B may attract some investors, the risks from unsustainable distributions, declining net asset value, and negative returns on equity warrant extreme caution. Analyst sentiment is mixed, reflecting the stock's high-risk, high-yield profile.
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 →Oxford Lane Capital Corp. is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its primary investment objective is to achieve high current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The company primarily invests in equity and junior debt tranches of collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), which are pools of corporate loans. OXLC is known for its high-yield distribution policy and provides investors with leveraged exposure to the CLO market.
Read more on OXLC →