Ares Capital Corporation vs Prospect Capital Corporation — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.95 (market cap $14.35B), while Prospect Capital Corporation trades at $2.27 (market cap $1.15B). The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation is far larger — about 12.5× Prospect Capital Corporation's market cap, and Prospect Capital Corporation pays the higher dividend (21.83%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | PSEC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $1.15B |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $3.05 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $2.11 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 21.83% |
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.
PSEC trades at $2.33, up 5.43% in the last session, with a neutral technical signal and bearish moving averages. The company shows mixed fundamentals, with a low P/B of 0.4 and recent quarterly EPS beats, but negative revenue and net income in 2025. Recent news highlights a dividend increase for an affiliate fund and the sale of Valley Electric for a 4.8x return.
Outlook is cautious; the stock offers value with a low P/B and dividend yield, but significant risks include persistent negative profitability, high P/S ratio, and analyst skepticism. Investment appeal hinges on portfolio turnaround and sustained dividend stability amid operational challenges.
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 →Prospect Capital Corp is a closed-end investment company based in the United States. Its investment objective is to generate both current income and long-term capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. The company invests primarily in senior and subordinated debt and equity of private companies for acquisitions, divestitures, growth, development, recapitalizations, and other purposes. It makes investments, including lending in private equity, sponsored transactions, directly to companies, investments in structured credit, real estate, and syndicated debt.
Read more on PSEC →