ARCC vs. VIRT: Ares Capital vs. Virtu Financial Stock Comparison
How do Ares Capital (ARCC) and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) both belong to the Capital Markets industry, though ARCC is classified under Asset Management & Custody Banks while VIRT falls under Investment Banking & Brokerage.
| Profile Item | ARCC | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ares Capital Corp. | Virtu Financial 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 | 11.67 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | October 5, 2004 | April 16, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 5.40% | 57.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 9.48% | 51.24% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 8.26% | 19.25% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 18.97% | 37.43% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.59 | 0.69 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -21.76% | -54.52% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.45M | 1.26M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.06 | 1.43 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.09 | 2.27 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 57.03% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Ares Capital (ARCC) at 6.19%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
57.03%
- VIRT
- 57.03%
- Max
- 44.78%
- 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 17.96%, 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
17.96%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- VIRT
- 17.96%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Ares Capital (ARCC) at 72.74% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 36.32%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
36.32%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- VIRT
- 36.32%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 6.19% | 57.03% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.78% | 5.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 28.35% | 17.96% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 72.74% | 36.32% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 26.25% 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
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 72.73% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Ares Capital (ARCC) at -23.77% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for VIRT.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -12.08% | 26.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 26.67% | 15.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -23.77% | 72.73% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.05% | 28.11% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Ares Capital (ARCC) in Financial Services and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.78% 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.78%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- VIRT
- 1.78%
- Median
- 1.09%
- 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) reports 15.95%, 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
15.95%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- VIRT
- 15.95%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 9.92% | 1.78% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 157.38% | 15.95% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 7.92 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Ares Capital (ARCC) at 15.68 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for VIRT, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
7.92
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- VIRT
- 7.92
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Ares Capital (ARCC) at 4.48 and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 3.35 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
3.35
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- VIRT
- 3.35
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Ares Capital (ARCC) at 0.99 and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.92 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.92
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- VIRT
- 1.92
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 15.68 | 7.92 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.48 | 3.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.99 | 1.92 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |