Ares Capital Corporation vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $18.88 (market cap $13.48B), while Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated trades at $482.53 (market cap $123.19B). The key difference: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is far larger — about 9.1× Ares Capital Corporation's market cap, and Ares Capital Corporation pays a 10.22% dividend while Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | VRTX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.48B | $123.19B |
Sector | Financials | Health |
52-Week High | $23.25 | $529.59 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $366.54 |
Dividend Yield | 10.22% | — |
Enterprise Value | — | $117.93B |
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.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) trades at $485.39, down 2.24% today but maintains a bullish technical trend with strong support at $486. The company reported robust 2025 results with $12.00B revenue and $3.95B net income, though margins dipped slightly. Recent news highlights a strategic $10B acquisition of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, expanding its endocrinology portfolio with potential $5B peak sales. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with an 83.9% buy rating and $526.50 price target.
Outlook is positive driven by earnings growth and strategic acquisitions, but risks include integration challenges from the Crinetics deal and reliance on cystic fibrosis treatments. The stock offers upside to consensus targets but faces volatility near-term.
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 →Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology company that discovers and develops small-molecule drugs for the treatment of serious diseases. Its key drugs are Kalydeco, Orkambi, Symdeko, and Trikafta/Kaftrio for cystic fibrosis, where Vertex therapies remain the standard of care globally. In addition to its focus on cystic fibrosis, Vertex is diversifying its pipeline through gene-editing therapies such as CTX001 for beta-thalassemia and sickle-cell disease, small-molecule inhibitors targeting acute and chronic pain using non-opioid treatments, and small-molecule inhibitors of APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. Vertex is also investigating cell therapies to deliver a potential functional cure for type 1 diabetes.
Read more on VRTX →