ARCC vs. IBKR: Ares Capital vs. Interactive Brokers Stock Comparison
How do Ares Capital (ARCC) and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Ares Capital (ARCC) and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) both belong to the Capital Markets industry, though ARCC is classified under Asset Management & Custody Banks while IBKR falls under Investment Banking & Brokerage.
| Profile Item | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ares Capital Corp. | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Capital Markets | Capital Markets |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Asset Management & Custody Banks | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 13.82 billion USD | 129.19 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | October 5, 2004 | May 4, 2007 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 5.40% | 11.53% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 9.48% | 57.15% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 8.26% | 34.54% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) has an aggressive beta of 1.37, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Ares Capital (ARCC) is defensive at 0.59 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 18.97% | 40.72% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.59 | 1.37 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -21.76% | -38.66% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.45M | 4.24M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.06 | 0.18 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.09 | 0.26 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 23.67% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Ares Capital (ARCC) at 6.19% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for IBKR.
ARCC
Financial Services industry group
6.19%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- ARCC
- 6.19%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
IBKR
Financial Services industry group
23.67%
- Max
- 44.78%
- IBKR
- 23.67%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Ares Capital (ARCC) at 28.35% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 16.68%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
ARCC
Financial Services industry group
28.35%
- Max
- 62.84%
- ARCC
- 28.35%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
IBKR
Financial Services industry group
16.68%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- IBKR
- 16.68%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Ares Capital (ARCC) at 72.74% and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 77.70% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
ARCC
Financial Services industry group
72.74%
- Max
- 107.33%
- ARCC
- 72.74%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
IBKR
Financial Services industry group
77.70%
- Max
- 107.33%
- IBKR
- 77.70%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 6.19% | 23.67% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.78% | 2.28% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 28.35% | 16.68% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 72.74% | 77.70% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 9.73% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Ares Capital (ARCC) at -12.08% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Both Ares Capital (ARCC) at -23.77% and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 28.14% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -12.08% | 9.73% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 26.67% | 34.60% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -23.77% | 28.14% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.05% | 33.29% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Ares Capital (ARCC) in Financial Services and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Ares Capital (ARCC) in Financial Services and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 0.46% pays an industry-typical yield; Ares Capital (ARCC) at 9.92% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.
ARCC
Financial Services industry group
9.92%
- ARCC
- 9.92%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
IBKR
Financial Services industry group
0.46%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- IBKR
- 0.46%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Ares Capital (ARCC) reports payout ratio above 100% at 157.38%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Interactive Brokers (IBKR) reports 12.79%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ARCC
Financial Services industry group
157.38%
- Max
- 241.07%
- ARCC
- 157.38%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
IBKR
Financial Services industry group
12.79%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- IBKR
- 12.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 9.92% | 0.46% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 157.38% | 12.79% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Ares Capital (ARCC) at 15.68 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 28.94 sits in the richer quartile — IBKR needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
ARCC
Financial Services industry group
15.68
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- ARCC
- 15.68
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
IBKR
Financial Services industry group
28.94
- Max
- 45.85
- IBKR
- 28.94
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Ares Capital (ARCC) at 4.48 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 18.30 clears its benchmark range — IBKR looks notably rich on sales.
ARCC
Financial Services industry group
4.48
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- ARCC
- 4.48
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
IBKR
Financial Services industry group
18.30
- IBKR
- 18.30
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Ares Capital (ARCC) at 0.99 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Interactive Brokers (IBKR) at 5.53 carries an above-peer premium to book — IBKR is pricier on assets.
ARCC
Financial Services industry group
0.99
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- ARCC
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
IBKR
Financial Services industry group
5.53
- Max
- 7.79
- IBKR
- 5.53
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | IBKR |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 15.68 | 28.94 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.48 | 18.30 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.99 | 5.53 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |