Ares Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:ARCC) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Ares Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:ARCC) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the ten analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $22.25.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ARCC. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ares Capital in a report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Ares Capital from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Ares Capital from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, October 19th. UBS Group cut their price target on Ares Capital from $22.50 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, Capital One Financial set a $22.50 price objective on Ares Capital in a research note on Friday, October 10th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ares Capital

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Ares Capital by 41.8% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 11,201,905 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $226,615,000 after acquiring an additional 3,301,890 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Ares Capital by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 8,678,129 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $190,572,000 after purchasing an additional 705,882 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Ares Capital by 18.6% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,404,876 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $140,651,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006,460 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in shares of Ares Capital by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 4,955,567 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $108,799,000 after buying an additional 252,947 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ares Capital by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,794,378 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $83,353,000 after buying an additional 225,984 shares during the last quarter. 27.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ares Capital Trading Down 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:ARCC opened at $19.13 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $13.69 billion, a PE ratio of 9.57 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 2.20, a current ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. Ares Capital has a 12-month low of $18.26 and a 12-month high of $23.83. The business has a 50 day moving average of $20.46 and a 200-day moving average of $20.93.

Ares Capital Company Profile

Ares Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: ARCC) is a publicly traded business development company (BDC) that specializes in providing debt and equity financing solutions to U.S. middle-market companies. As a BDC, Ares Capital offers investors access to a diversified portfolio of tailored credit investments, including senior secured loans, unitranche financing, mezzanine debt and equity co-investments. The firm’s flexible capital structures are designed to support companies seeking growth capital, refinancing or strategic acquisitions.

Through its credit platform, Ares Capital focuses on originations, underwriting and portfolio management across a range of industries, with a particular emphasis on sectors such as healthcare, technology, industrials and business services.