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ARCC vs. GBDC
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends
Financials

Performance

ARCC vs. GBDC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC) and Golub Capital BDC, Inc. (GBDC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ARCC achieves a -4.02% return, which is significantly lower than GBDC's -0.08% return. Over the past 10 years, ARCC has outperformed GBDC with an annualized return of 12.70%, while GBDC has yielded a comparatively lower 6.58% annualized return.


ARCC

1D
1.18%
1M
-2.33%
YTD
-4.02%
6M
-5.00%
1Y
-5.35%
3Y*
9.52%
5Y*
8.89%
10Y*
12.70%

GBDC

1D
2.25%
1M
-1.57%
YTD
-0.08%
6M
-1.96%
1Y
-2.02%
3Y*
10.72%
5Y*
6.41%
10Y*
6.58%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ARCC vs. GBDC - Yearly Performance Comparison


2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
ARCC
Ares Capital Corporation
-4.02%1.07%19.78%20.03%-3.84%36.14%0.86%31.30%8.81%4.50%
GBDC
Golub Capital BDC, Inc.
-0.08%-0.50%13.57%27.69%-6.99%17.78%-14.73%21.09%-2.20%6.27%

Correlation

The correlation between ARCC and GBDC is 0.75, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.


Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.75

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.71

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.71

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.60

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 16, 2010

0.51

Over the past year, ARCC and GBDC have become more correlated (0.75) than their long-term average of 0.51, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap

ARCC:

$13.57B

GBDC:

$3.46B

EPS

ARCC:

$1.63

GBDC:

$0.95

PE Ratio

ARCC:

11.59

GBDC:

13.91

PEG Ratio

ARCC:

1.74

GBDC:

7.83

PS Ratio

ARCC:

5.06

GBDC:

4.20

PB Ratio

ARCC:

0.96

GBDC:

0.92

Total Revenue (TTM)

ARCC:

$2.63B

GBDC:

$831.29M

Gross Profit (TTM)

ARCC:

$1.86B

GBDC:

$525.36M

EBITDA (TTM)

ARCC:

$2.05B

GBDC:

$506.70M

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Return for Risk

ARCC vs. GBDC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ARCC
ARCC Risk / Return Rank: 2929
Overall Rank
ARCC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2929
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ARCC Sortino Ratio Rank: 2525
Sortino Ratio Rank
ARCC Omega Ratio Rank: 2525
Omega Ratio Rank
ARCC Calmar Ratio Rank: 3232
Calmar Ratio Rank
ARCC Martin Ratio Rank: 3333
Martin Ratio Rank

GBDC
GBDC Risk / Return Rank: 3535
Overall Rank
GBDC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3737
Sharpe Ratio Rank
GBDC Sortino Ratio Rank: 3131
Sortino Ratio Rank
GBDC Omega Ratio Rank: 3030
Omega Ratio Rank
GBDC Calmar Ratio Rank: 3838
Calmar Ratio Rank
GBDC Martin Ratio Rank: 3737
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ARCC vs. GBDC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC) and Golub Capital BDC, Inc. (GBDC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.


ARCCGBDCDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility

-0.18

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk

-0.26

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

0.97

1.00

-0.03

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

-0.28

-0.11

-0.17

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

-0.51

-0.24

-0.27

ARCC vs. GBDC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ARCC Sharpe Ratio is -0.29, which is lower than the GBDC Sharpe Ratio of -0.11. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ARCC and GBDC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.


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Sharpe Ratios by Period


ARCCGBDCDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-0.29

-0.11

-0.18

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.45

0.37

+0.07

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.50

0.31

+0.19

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.38

0.39

-0.02

Drawdowns

ARCC vs. GBDC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ARCC drawdown since its inception was -79.36%, which is greater than GBDC's maximum drawdown of -47.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ARCC and GBDC.


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Drawdown Indicators


ARCCGBDCDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-79.36%

-47.30%

-32.06%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-19.35%

-18.20%

-1.15%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-19.35%

-18.20%

-1.15%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-21.76%

-19.28%

-2.48%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-56.77%

-47.30%

-9.47%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-12.64%

-7.50%

-5.14%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-9.10%

-6.13%

-2.97%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

10.51%

8.48%

+2.03%

Volatility

ARCC vs. GBDC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC) is 4.02%, while Golub Capital BDC, Inc. (GBDC) has a volatility of 5.95%. This indicates that ARCC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GBDC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.


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Volatility by Period


ARCCGBDCDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.02%

5.95%

-1.93%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

14.76%

15.78%

-1.02%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

18.44%

19.09%

-0.65%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

19.97%

17.20%

+2.77%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

25.58%

21.55%

+4.03%

Dividends

ARCC vs. GBDC - Dividend Comparison

ARCC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 10.16%, less than GBDC's 11.37% yield.


PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
ARCC
Ares Capital Corporation
10.16%9.49%8.77%9.59%10.12%7.65%9.47%9.01%9.88%9.67%9.22%11.02%
GBDC
Golub Capital BDC, Inc.
11.37%11.50%12.73%10.00%9.35%7.58%8.44%7.70%8.49%7.47%8.32%7.70%

Financials

ARCC vs. GBDC - Financials Comparison

This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Ares Capital Corporation and Golub Capital BDC, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.


Quarterly
Annual

Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities


0.00200.00M400.00M600.00M800.00M20222023202420252026
763.00M
184.79M
(ARCC) Total Revenue
(GBDC) Total Revenue
Values in USD except per share items

ARCC vs. GBDC - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Ares Capital Corporation and Golub Capital BDC, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

Gross Margin
Operating Margin
Net Margin
Quarterly
Annual

0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%20222023202420252026
72.1%
0
Portfolio components
ARCC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ares Capital Corporation reported a gross profit of 550.00M and revenue of 763.00M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 72.1%.

GBDC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Golub Capital BDC, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 184.79M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

ARCC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ares Capital Corporation reported an operating income of 404.00M and revenue of 763.00M, resulting in an operating margin of 53.0%.

GBDC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Golub Capital BDC, Inc. reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 184.79M, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

ARCC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ares Capital Corporation reported a net income of 92.00M and revenue of 763.00M, resulting in a net margin of 12.1%.

GBDC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Golub Capital BDC, Inc. reported a net income of 0.00 and revenue of 184.79M, resulting in a net margin of 0.0%.


Frequently Asked Questions


ARCC and GBDC have a correlation of 0.75, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

GBDC has higher volatility (5.95%) compared to ARCC (4.02%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ARCC dropped -79.36% vs GBDC's -47.30%.

GBDC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.11 vs -0.29), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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