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Data last updated: Aug 17, 2026
Snapshot (as of Aug 17, 2026): Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC) pays a $1.92 annual dividend ($0.48 quarterly), yielding 9.75% at $19.68/share. Next ex-dividend date 2026-09-15. 5 consecutive years of dividend growth. Source: Yahoo Finance, aggregated by MerryDiv.
Dividend Yield: 9.75%
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 stands at $1.92 per share annually, backed by a business that finances middle-market companies through loans, mezzanine debt, and equity instruments. The current yield is 9.66%, paid quarterly, with the next ex-dividend date on September 15, 2026. ARCC last paid $0.48 per share. With a beta of 0.62, ARCC stock moves less than the broader market, which suits income-focused investors who prioritize yield over price appreciation.
Ares Capital Corporation pays out 138.4% of earnings as dividends, a payout ratio classified as high (above 75%). As a Business Development Company, ARCC is required by regulation to distribute the majority of its income, 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 fee income or credit losses across its middle-market loan portfolio could tighten the margin between earnings and distributions.
Ares Capital Corporation dividend history shows a CAGR of 2.2% per year from 2011 to 2025. The per-share annual dividend 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, while several years saw no increase at all, which means growth has been uneven rather than steady.
| 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 current yield from a business with a defined, recurring revenue model. The yield classification is high (above 4%), and at 9.66% it sits above the 5-year average of 9.31%, so buyers today are getting slightly more income than the historical norm. The trade-off is real: a 138.4% payout ratio leaves little room for error, and dividend growth at 2.2% per year is slow. What ARCC offers is yield now. What it does not offer is meaningful dividend growth over time.
| 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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