Ares Capital Corporation vs Shell PLC — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $18.75 (market cap $13.48B), while Shell PLC trades at $82.67 (market cap $222.30B). The key difference: Shell PLC is far larger — about 16.5× Ares Capital Corporation's market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays the higher dividend (10.22%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | SHEL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.48B | $222.30B |
Sector | Financials | Energy |
52-Week High | $23.25 | $94.15 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $70.28 |
Dividend Yield | 10.22% | 3.8% |
Enterprise Value | — | $274.83B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Ares Capital (ARCC) trades at $18.78, up 2.01% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong analyst support. The stock shows a P/E of 11.52 and P/B of 0.96, trading below the consensus price target of $20.58. Recent earnings have missed expectations, with Q2 2026 results pending, while revenue declined to $1.51B in 2025 from $1.7B in 2024. A dividend of $0.48 is scheduled for payment on June 30, 2026, supporting income appeal amid mixed sentiment.
ARCC presents a value opportunity with a high dividend yield and undervaluation relative to analyst targets, but faces headwinds from earnings misses and a bearish technical outlook. Risks include revenue volatility and competitive pressures in the BDC space, though institutional buy ratings suggest confidence in recovery potential. Investors should weigh income stability against growth challenges.
SHEL trades at $82.23, up 1.02% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The stock shows strong fundamentals with a P/E of 12.81 and net income margin of 7.01%. Recent Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations, and the company raised its Q2 outlook despite Middle East production disruptions. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $122.20 price target.
The outlook for SHEL is positive, supported by elevated energy prices and strong gas trading, though geopolitical risks and declining operating cash flow pose headwinds. The stock offers value with attractive valuation multiples and a solid dividend, but investors should monitor production volatility and macroeconomic pressures on energy demand.
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 →Shell is an integrated oil and gas company that explores for, produces, and refines oil around the world. In 2021, it produced 1.7 million barrels of liquids and 8.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. At year-end 2021, reserves stood at 9.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, 50% of which consisted of liquids. Its production and reserves are in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and North and South America. The company operates refineries with capacity of 1.8 mmb/d located in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe and sells 15 mtpa of chemicals. Its largest chemical plants, often integrated with its local refineries, are in Central Europe, China, Singapore, and North America.
Read more on SHEL →