Ares Capital Corporation vs Prudential Financial Inc — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.88 (market cap $14.34B), while Prudential Financial Inc trades at $122.47 (market cap $42.20B). The key difference: Prudential Financial Inc is far larger — about 2.9× 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 | PRU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | $42.20B |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $123.93 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $92.00 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 4.58% |
Enterprise Value | — | $70.98B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ARCC trades at $19.875, down 0.53% on the day, with strong analyst support showing 24 buy ratings and a consensus price target of $19.63. The stock maintains a bullish technical signal with moving averages supporting upward momentum, though oscillators indicate some near-term pressure. Recent earnings showed Q2 2026 EPS of $0.47, slightly below expectations, while the company continues its 17-year dividend streak with consistent $0.48 quarterly payments.
The outlook remains positive with solid fundamentals including 81.77% net income margin and 6.88% ROE, though investors should monitor declining revenue trends from $1.7B in 2024 to projected $1.2B in 2026. Key risks include private credit market strain and dividend coverage tightening to 104%, while institutional confidence remains high with no sell ratings among 32 analysts covering the stock.
PRU trades at $122.34, up 0.19% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and support near $122. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates at $4.08 EPS, driven by strong PGIM and international performance. The company maintains a solid net income margin of 6.04% and ROE of 12.46%, with a dividend of $1.40 declared for September 2026. Revenue trends show growth from 2022 lows, reaching $61.0B in 2025.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic with earnings momentum and strategic focus on capital-light operations, but risks include sensitivity to interest rates and China regulatory news. Analysts are mixed with a $113.11 consensus target below current price, suggesting limited upside. Institutional holdings grew, as seen with Assenagon's 379.8% stake increase in Q2 2026.
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 →Prudential Financial is a large, diversified insurance company offering annuities, life insurance, retirement plan services, and asset management products. While it operates in a number of countries, the vast majority of revenue is generated in the United States and Japan. The company's investment management business, PGIM, contributes approximately 15% of its earnings and has over $1.5 trillion in assets under management. The U.S. businesses are responsible for about 45% of earnings and can be classified into Institutional Retirement Strategies, Individual Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life Insurance, and Assurance IQ. Finally, the international business segment of the company contributes approximately 40% of earnings with a strong market position in Japan.
Read more on PRU →