Ares Capital Corporation vs Standard Lithium Ltd — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.95 (market cap $14.35B), while Standard Lithium Ltd trades at $2.45 (market cap $624.94M). The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation is far larger — about 23× Standard Lithium Ltd's market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays a 9.61% dividend while Standard Lithium Ltd pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | SLI | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.35B | $624.94M |
Sector | Financials | Basic Materials |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $5.65 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $1.93 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | — |
Enterprise Value | — | $484.14M |
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.
Standard Lithium (SLI) trades at $2.37, up 4.41% with a bullish technical signal despite mixed earnings performance. The company maintains 100% analyst buy ratings and strong institutional interest, including Amundi's 64.9% stake increase. Recent developments show progress toward final investment decision for the South West Arkansas lithium project, supported by a $225M DOE grant and key construction contracts. Financials reflect development-stage challenges with negative profitability metrics but substantial financing activity.
Outlook remains constructive as SLI transitions toward production with major project de-risking, though execution risks and negative cash flows warrant monitoring. The stock presents growth potential in lithium sector expansion but faces operational and funding challenges during development phase. Current valuation at 1.72x book value reflects market optimism about project economics.
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 →Standard Lithium Ltd. is a company focused on the development of lithium projects in North America, with a primary focus on extracting lithium from brine resources. Their flagship projects aim to utilize proprietary, advanced direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies to produce high-purity lithium compounds in an environmentally responsible manner. The company seeks to become a key domestic supplier to the growing electric vehicle and battery storage markets.
Read more on SLI →