Ares Capital Corporation vs Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Ares Capital Corporation trades at $19.77 (market cap $14.34B), while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $52.88. The key difference: Ares Capital Corporation pays a 9.61% dividend while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none, and Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund is trading nearer its 52-week high, Ares Capital Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARCC | XLB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.34B | — |
Sector | Financials | — |
52-Week High | $22.68 | $53.62 |
52-Week Low | $17.45 | $42.23 |
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.
XLB trades at $53.14, showing minimal daily movement with a slight decline of 0.08%. Technical indicators signal a bullish trend with strong moving average support and oscillators showing mixed signals. The materials sector ETF benefits from infrastructure spending and AI-related demand, though recent articles suggest the cyclical recovery may be largely priced in. Dividend payments are scheduled for 2026.
The outlook for XLB remains positive due to sector tailwinds from infrastructure and manufacturing trends, though valuation concerns exist after recent gains. Key risks include cyclical sector exposure and potential overvaluation. Analyst sentiment appears cautiously optimistic with technical strength supporting near-term momentum.
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes securities of companies from the following industries: chemicals; metals and mining; paper and forest products; containers and packaging; and construction materials. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLB →