Ares Capital Corporation vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $18.64 (market cap $13.48B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $429.1 (market cap $385.62B). The key difference: UnitedHealth Group Inc is far larger — about 28.6× 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 | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.48B | $385.62B |
Sector | Financials | Health |
52-Week High | $23.25 | $431.68 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $237.77 |
Dividend Yield | 10.22% | 2.19% |
Enterprise Value | — | $432.30B |
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UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $424.62, down 1.64% on the day, slightly above the analyst consensus price target of $423.18. The stock shows bullish technical signals with strong moving average support and recent earnings beats in three consecutive quarters. Revenue has grown consistently from $322.1B in 2022 to $447.6B in 2025, though net income margin has compressed from 6.24% to 2.69% over the same period. Recent news highlights strategic moves to reduce pediatric prior authorizations and ongoing shareholder returns through dividends and buybacks.
Outlook remains positive with 82.7% analyst buy ratings and strong institutional support, driven by aging demographics and healthcare innovation. Key risks include regulatory scrutiny (Massachusetts Medicaid lawsuit filed May 29, 2026), margin pressure from rising costs, and increasing debt levels. The current P/E of 31.97 appears elevated relative to historical norms, suggesting valuation sensitivity to earnings growth.
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 →UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest private health insurers, providing medical benefits to 50 million members globally, including 5 million outside the U.S. at the end of 2021. As a leader in employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed insurance plans, UnitedHealth has obtained massive scale in managed care. Along with its insurance assets, UnitedHealth's continued investments in its Optum franchises have created a healthcare services colossus that spans everything from medical and pharmaceutical benefits to providing outpatient care and analytics to both affiliated and third-party customers.
Read more on UNH →