Ares Capital Corporation vs Riot Platforms Inc — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.76 (market cap $14.34B), while Riot Platforms Inc trades at $20.75 (market cap $7.59B). The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays a 9.61% dividend while Riot Platforms Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | RIOT | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | $7.59B |
Sector | Financials | Technology |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $28.67 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $11.33 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | — |
Enterprise Value | — | $8.00B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ARCC trades at $19.98, down 0.15% on the day, with a P/E of 14.9 and P/B of 1.03. Recent quarterly earnings have consistently missed expectations, with Q2 2026 EPS of $0.47 falling short of the $0.4731 estimate. Technical indicators show a bullish moving average signal but bearish oscillators, with RSI at 78.37 suggesting overbought conditions. The company maintains a strong dividend yield of approximately 9.6% with consistent $0.48 quarterly payments.
While ARCC offers attractive income with its high dividend yield and strong analyst support (24 buy ratings), investors face risks from declining revenue trends and compressed earnings. The stock trades near consensus price targets, limiting near-term upside potential. Credit quality concerns in the private lending sector and potential interest rate sensitivity present additional headwinds for this business development company.
RIOT Platforms trades at $20.90, up 7.73% in the last 24 hours, following the announcement of a landmark $9.1 billion, 20-year AI data center deal with Anthropic. Despite this positive news, the technical outlook remains bearish, and the company continues to report significant net losses, with a net income margin of -196.28% for 2026. Analyst sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with a consensus price target of $33.40 representing substantial upside potential.
The stock presents a high-risk, high-reward opportunity. The transformative AI deal offers a clear long-term growth catalyst, but investors must weigh this against persistent unprofitability and negative cash flows. The key risk is the company's ability to execute its strategic pivot to AI infrastructure while managing its financial losses.
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 →Riot Platforms, Inc. is a Bitcoin mining company that focuses on building, operating, and expanding large-scale infrastructure for digital asset mining in North America. The company's operations include Bitcoin mining, data center hosting, and engineering solutions. Riot's strategy emphasizes vertical integration to maximize efficiency and scale its mining capacity, aiming to be a leader in the global Bitcoin and digital infrastructure industry.
Read more on RIOT →