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Data last updated: Oct 02, 2026
Snapshot (as of Oct 02, 2026): Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC) pays a $1.92 annual dividend ($0.48 quarterly), yielding 10.18% at $18.87/share. Next ex-dividend date 2026-09-15. 5 consecutive years of dividend growth. Source: Yahoo Finance, aggregated by MerryDiv.
Dividend Yield: 10.18%
Annual Dividend: $1.92 per share
Payout Ratio: 138.4%
Ex-Dividend Date: 2026-09-15
Dividend Frequency: quarterly
Sector: Financial Services
Years of Dividend History: 23
Ares Capital Corporation dividend income comes from one of the largest Business Development Companies in the U.S., focused on financing middle-market companies through loans, mezzanine debt, and equity investments. The current yield stands at 9.91%, paid quarterly at $0.48 per share, with the next ex-dividend date on September 15, 2026. The trailing annual dividend rate is $1.92 per share. With a beta of 0.627, ARCC stock carries below-average price volatility, which suits income-focused investors who prioritize yield over capital appreciation.
Ares Capital Corporation pays out 138.4% of earnings as dividends, a payout ratio classified as high (above 75%). As a BDC, ARCC is required by law to distribute the majority of its taxable income to shareholders, which means the payout structure is built into its operating model rather than a sign of financial strain. Ares Capital Corporation dividend safety faces pressure from that elevated ratio, since any contraction in net investment income from its middle-market loan portfolio would leave less room to sustain the current payment level.
Ares Capital Corporation dividend history shows a CAGR of 2.2% per year from 2011 to 2025. Per-share payments grew from $1.41 to $1.92 over that period (2026 data is a partial year and excluded from the growth calculation). The largest annual increase in the window was 15.4% in 2022, though growth across most years was far more modest, with several years showing flat or slightly declining payments.
| Period | CAGR | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Year | +0.9% | $1.87 (2022) | $1.92 (2025) |
| 5-Year | +3.7% | $1.60 (2020) | $1.92 (2025) |
| 10-Year | +2.0% | $1.57 (2015) | $1.92 (2025) |
ARCC fits income-focused investors who want a high-yield payout from a diversified middle-market lender and can accept an elevated payout ratio. The yield is classified as high (above 4%), currently at 9.91%, sitting above its own 5-year average of 9.55%. Growth is slow at 2.2% per year, so this is not a compounding story. What an investor gets is a large quarterly income stream backed by a broad portfolio of corporate loans and debt instruments. The trade-off is a payout ratio of 138.4%, which leaves little buffer if investment income softens.
| Payment Date | Amount per Share |
|---|---|
| 2026-09-15 | $0.4800 |
| 2026-06-15 | $0.4800 |
| 2026-03-13 | $0.4800 |
| 2025-12-15 | $0.4800 |
| 2025-09-15 | $0.4800 |
| 2025-06-13 | $0.4800 |
| 2025-03-14 | $0.4800 |
| 2024-12-13 | $0.4800 |
| 2024-09-13 | $0.4800 |
| 2024-06-14 | $0.4800 |
| Year | Total Dividends |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $1.4400 |
| 2025 | $1.9200 |
| 2024 | $1.9200 |
| 2023 | $1.9200 |
| 2022 | $1.8700 |
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