Ares Capital Corporation vs Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.79 (market cap $14.34B), while Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF trades at $225.91. The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation pays a 9.61% dividend while Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF pays none, and Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Ares Capital Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | VTV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | — |
Sector | Financials | — |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $225.35 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $179.43 |
Dividend Yield | 9.61% | — |
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.
VTV trades at $225.71, up 0.31% with a bullish technical outlook from moving averages. The ETF focuses on large-cap value stocks and has gained attention for outperforming growth counterparts in 2026. Recent institutional activity shows mixed positioning, with some firms increasing stakes while others reduced exposure. A dividend of $1.08 is scheduled for June 2026, adding income appeal.
The value rotation narrative supports VTV's momentum, though RSI levels indicate potential near-term overbought conditions. Risks include sector concentration and market volatility. Analyst sentiment remains positive given the ETF's diversification and current market trends favoring value strategies over tech-heavy indexes.
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 →The fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index, a broadly diversified index predominantly made up of value stocks of large US companies. The advisor attempts to replicate the target index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the index.
Read more on VTV →