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ARCC vs DFS: Dividend Comparison 2026

ARCC yields 10.82% · DFS yields 1.40%● Live data

vsPost on X →
After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 DFS wins by $360.9K in total portfolio value· pulled ahead in Year 4
10 years
ARCC
Ares Capital Corporation
● Live price
10.82%
Share price
$17.74
Annual div
$1.92
5Y div CAGR
-50%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$24.5K
Annual income
$1.16
Full ARCC calculator →
DFS
DFS
● Live price
1.40%
Share price
$200.05
Annual div
$2.80
5Y div CAGR
71.5%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$385.5K
Annual income
$235,247.16
Full DFS calculator →

Portfolio growth — ARCC vs DFS

📍 DFS pulled ahead of the other in Year 4

Annual dividend income

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Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis PeriodARCCDFS
2008–2009
GFC
— No data— No data
2020 Q1–Q2
COVID
— No data— No data
2022 Q4
Rate Hike
— No data— No data
Based on dividend payment history. "Increased" = dividend grew during crisis. "Maintained" = held within 3%. "Cut" = reduced by more than 3%.
📅

Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, ARCC + DFS cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
ARCC pays
DFS pays
Both pay
Neither
💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

Which stock is actually better after tax? Adjust your rate to find out.

ARCC
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$919.95/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$0.99/yr
DFS
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$118.97/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$199,960.09/yr
At 15% tax rate, DFS beats the other by $199,959.10/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000
⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of ARCC + DFS for your $10,000?

ARCC: 50%DFS: 50%
100% DFS50/50100% ARCC
Portfolio after 10yr
$205.0K
Annual income
$117,624.16/yr
Blended yield
57.38%
📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on DFS right now

ARCC
Analyst Ratings
24
Buy
7
Hold
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$21.88
+23.3% upside vs current
Range: $21.00 — $23.00
Altman Z
0.8
Piotroski
4/9
DFS
Analyst Ratings
28
Buy
17
Hold
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$142.26
-28.9% upside vs current
Range: $104.00 — $214.00
Altman Z
0.2
Piotroski
7/9
Analyst ratings via FMP. Altman Z-Score: >3.0 safe, 1.81–3.0 grey zone, <1.81 distress. Piotroski: 7–9 strong, 0–3 weak.
🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

ARCC buys
0
DFS buys
0
No recent congressional trades found for ARCC or DFS in the last 90 days.
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricARCCDFS
Forward yield10.82%1.40%
Annual dividend / share$1.92$2.80
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR-50%71.5%
Portfolio after 10y$24.5K$385.5K
Annual income after 10y$1.16$235,247.16
Total dividends collected$1.1K$350.7K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorBDCFinancials
Analyst consensusBuyBuy
Analyst price target$21.88$142.26

Year-by-year: ARCC vs DFS ($10,000, DRIP)

YearARCC PortfolioARCC Income/yrDFS PortfolioDFS Income/yrGap
1$11,381$541.15$10,940$240.04+$441.00ARCC
2$12,621$284.08$12,127$420.90+$494.00ARCC
3$13,827$145.31$13,723$747.81+$104.00ARCC
4← crossover$15,062$73.43$16,040$1,356.40$978.00DFS
5$16,364$36.89$19,704$2,541.10$3.3KDFS
6$17,757$18.49$26,087$5,003.21$8.3KDFS
7$19,258$9.25$38,530$10,616.67$19.3KDFS
8$20,880$4.63$66,360$25,132.82$45.5KDFS
9$22,636$2.32$140,384$69,379.29$117.7KDFS
10$24,539$1.16$385,458$235,247.16$360.9KDFS

ARCC vs DFS: Complete Analysis 2026

ARCCBDC

Ares Capital Corporation is a business development company specializing in acquisition, recapitalization, mezzanine debt, restructurings, rescue financing, and leveraged buyout transactions of middle market companies. It also makes growth capital and general refinancing. It prefers to make investments in companies engaged in the basic and growth manufacturing, business services, consumer products, health care products and services, and information technology service sectors. The fund will also consider investments in industries such as restaurants, retail, oil and gas, and technology sectors. It focuses on investments in Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Southwest regions from its New York office, the Midwest region, from the Chicago office, and the Western region from the Los Angeles office. The fund typically invests between $20 million and $200 million and a maximum of $400 million in companies with an EBITDA between $10 million and $250 million. It makes debt investments between $10 million and $100 million The fund invests through revolvers, first lien loans, warrants, unitranche structures, second lien loans, mezzanine debt, private high yield, junior capital, subordinated debt, and non-control preferred and common equity. The fund also selectively considers third-party-led senior and subordinated debt financings and opportunistically considers the purchase of stressed and discounted debt positions. The fund prefers to be an agent and/or lead the transactions in which it invests. The fund also seeks board representation in its portfolio companies.

Full ARCC Calculator →

DFSFinancials

Discover Financial Services, through its subsidiaries, provides digital banking products and services, and payment services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Digital Banking and Payment Services. The Digital Banking segment offers Discover-branded credit cards to individuals; private student loans, personal loans, home loans, and other consumer lending; and direct-to-consumer deposit products comprising savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, IRA certificates of deposit, IRA savings accounts and checking accounts, and sweep accounts. The Payment Services segment operates the PULSE, an automated teller machine, debit, and electronic funds transfer network; and Diners Club International, a payments network that issues Diners Club branded charge cards and/or provides card acceptance services, as well as offers payment transaction processing and settlement services. The company was incorporated in 1960 and is based in Riverwoods, Illinois.

Full DFS Calculator →
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⚠️ Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Congressional trades sourced from SEC STOCK Act filings via FMP. Past performance does not guarantee future results.