Ares Capital Corporation vs Charles Schwab Corporation Common Stock — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.79 (market cap $14.34B), while Charles Schwab Corporation Common Stock trades at $107.89 (market cap $186.25B). The key difference: Charles Schwab Corporation Common Stock is far larger — about 13× 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 | SCHW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | $186.25B |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $108.02 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $85.35 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | 1.19% |
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.
Charles Schwab (SCHW) trades at $107.99, up 0.36% today, near its all-time high. The stock shows strong technical momentum with a bullish moving average signal, though RSI levels suggest overbought conditions. Fundamentally, Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations with EPS of $1.62 versus $1.56 expected, and revenue growth accelerated to $23.92 billion in 2025. Analyst sentiment remains positive with a 56.87% buy rating and a $122.33 consensus price target, indicating potential upside.
The outlook for SCHW is favorable given robust earnings performance and upward revenue guidance, but risks include potential market volatility from economic data and ongoing litigation. Institutional buying and a high ROE of 22.45% support the bullish case, though investors should monitor inflation reports and insider selling activity for near-term cues.
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 →Charles Schwab operates in brokerage, banking, and asset-management businesses. The company runs a large network of brick-and-mortar brokerage branch offices, a well-established online investing website, and has mobile trading capabilities. It also operates a bank and a proprietary asset management business and offers services to independent investment advisors. The company is among the largest firms in the investment business, with over $8 trillion of client assets at the end of 2021. Nearly all of its revenue is from the United States.
Read more on SCHW →