Investment Ideas

Ares Capital's 12% Yield: It Sticks Out Like A Sore Thumb

Ares Capital (ARCC) is a big-dividend business development company (“BDC”) that has sold off hard during the pandemic because of its exposure to small (“middle-market”) businesses (i.e. the business than have been hit particularly hard). In this article we review the business (including important sector exposures), the balance sheet liquidity (to deal with the crisis), dividend safety, valuation and risks, and then conclude with our opinion on why this particular BDC stands out like a sore thumb.