ARCC vs. WSE: Ares Capital vs. Wise Stock Comparison
How do Ares Capital (ARCC) and Wise (WSE) 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 Wise (WSE) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but ARCC is classified in Capital Markets while WSE is classified in Financial Services.
Ares Capital (ARCC) has been public since October 5, 2004, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while Wise (WSE) listed only on May 11, 2026 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.
| Profile Item | ARCC | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ares Capital Corp. | Wise Group plc |
| Country/Region | United States | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Capital Markets | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Asset Management & Custody Banks | Transaction & Payment Processing Services |
| Market Capitalization | 13.82 billion USD | 10.76 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | October 5, 2004 | May 11, 2026 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 5.40% | -- |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 9.48% | -- |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 8.26% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Wise (WSE) has an aggressive beta of 1.56, 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 | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 18.97% | 44.06% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.59 | 1.56 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -21.76% | -32.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.45M | 1.74M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both ARCC and WSE need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.06 | -- |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.09 | -- |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Wise (WSE) at 27.23% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Ares Capital (ARCC) at 6.19% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for WSE.
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
27.23%
- Max
- 44.78%
- WSE
- 27.23%
- 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 Wise (WSE) at 19.93%, 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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
19.93%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- WSE
- 19.93%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Ares Capital (ARCC) at 72.74% and Wise (WSE) at 59.77% 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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
59.77%
- Max
- 107.33%
- WSE
- 59.77%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 6.19% | 27.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.78% | 2.41% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 28.35% | 19.93% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 72.74% | 59.77% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Wise (WSE) at 17.14% 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 Wise (WSE) at -5.78% 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 | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -12.08% | 17.14% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 26.67% | 30.26% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -23.77% | -5.78% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.05% | 52.89% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Ares Capital (ARCC) in Financial Services and Wise (WSE) 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 Wise (WSE) 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 | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Wise (WSE) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Ares Capital (ARCC) reports a yield of 9.92%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- WSE
- 0.00%
- 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; Wise (WSE) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%).
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- WSE
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 9.92% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 157.38% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Ares Capital (ARCC) at 15.68 and Wise (WSE) at 23.23 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
23.23
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- WSE
- 23.23
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Ares Capital (ARCC) at 4.48 and Wise (WSE) at 4.30 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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
4.30
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- WSE
- 4.30
- 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 Wise (WSE) at 5.94 carries an above-peer premium to book — WSE 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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
5.94
- Max
- 7.79
- WSE
- 5.94
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARCC | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 15.68 | 23.23 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.48 | 4.30 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.99 | 5.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |