Ares Capital Corporation vs Palo Alto Networks Inc — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.95 (market cap $14.35B), while Palo Alto Networks Inc trades at $384.04 (market cap $313.81B). The key difference: Palo Alto Networks Inc is far larger — about 21.9× Ares Capital Corporation's market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays a 9.61% dividend while Palo Alto Networks Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | PANW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $313.81B |
Sector | Financials | Technology |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $385.04 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $141.67 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | — |
Enterprise Value | — | $312.77B |
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.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) trades at $363.86, up 1.22% today, near its pivot point of $365. The stock shows strong bullish momentum with consistent earnings beats and robust revenue growth, reaching $9.22 billion in fiscal 2025. Technical indicators signal bullish trends, while high valuation ratios like a P/E of 316.4 reflect market optimism. Recent news highlights AI-driven cybersecurity demand and record stock performance following industry events.
Outlook remains positive due to AI security tailwinds and earnings strength, but risks include premium valuation, integration costs from acquisitions, and regulatory scrutiny in China. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $344.94 price target, though current price exceeds this, suggesting cautious optimism for growth-driven upside.
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 →Palo Alto Networks is a pure-play cybersecurity vendor that sells security appliances, subscriptions, and support into enterprises, government entities, and service providers. The company's product portfolio includes firewall appliances, virtual firewalls, endpoint protection, cloud security, and cybersecurity analytics. The Santa Clara, California, firm was established in 2005 and sells its products worldwide.
Read more on PANW →