Computed head-to-head · 6 dimensions

ARCC vs GAIN

Ares Capital Corporation versus Gladstone Investment Corporation — yield, safety, growth trend, cost, scale, and tax treatment.

ARCC wins 3–2 on our six-dimension comparison, but GAIN can still be the better fit depending on your priorities — see each dimension below.

Scorecard at a glance

Dimension	ARCC	GAIN	Winner
Yield	10.20%	6.17%	ARCC wins
Dividend safety	3.8/10	6.3/10	GAIN wins
Growth trend	+1.20% vs 5y	-0.44% vs 5y	GAIN wins
Volatility (beta)	0.62	0.76	ARCC wins
Scale	$13.5B	$620M	ARCC wins
Tax efficiency	Qualified-eligible	Qualified-eligible	Tie
Overall	3 wins	2 wins	ARCC wins

Dimension by dimension

ARCC wins on yield (10.20% vs 6.17%)

On a $10,000 investment that's about $403 more in annual dividend income before taxes — though higher yield often comes with higher risk.

ARCC's higher yield (10.20%) looks attractive but investors should weigh whether the extra income compensates for any additional risk versus GAIN's 6.17% — especially if the higher yield is driven by covered calls or a falling share price.

ARCC: 10.20%GAIN: 6.17%

GAIN wins on safety (6.3/10 vs 3.8/10)

Our score combines yield zone, payout ratio, trend vs 5-year average, instrument type, and size. GAIN scores better on the weighted average of those factors.

GAIN (6.3/10) scores 2.5 points higher than ARCC (3.8/10). A higher safety score means lower historical indicators of dividend cut risk — payout ratio, yield zone, and trend all factor in.

ARCC: 3.8/10GAIN: 6.3/10

GAIN shows healthier dividend-vs-price trend

GAIN's yield is 0.44% below its 5y average, versus 1.20% for ARCC. Lower (or below-average) yield trend often means price appreciation outpaced distributions — a healthier signal.

ARCC: +1.20% vs 5yGAIN: -0.44% vs 5y

ARCC is less volatile (beta 0.62 vs 0.76)

Lower beta means smaller swings vs the S&P 500 — generally a steadier hold for income investors.

ARCC: 0.62GAIN: 0.76

ARCC is 21.7× larger by market cap

Larger companies tend to have tighter spreads, deeper liquidity, and lower closure risk.

ARCC: $13.5BGAIN: $620M

Both pay qualified-dividend-eligible distributions

Neither is structurally flagged for ordinary-income tax treatment. Most distributions should qualify for the lower long-term capital gains rate if holding-period requirements are met.

ARCC: Qualified-eligibleGAIN: Qualified-eligible

How we compare these

Every comparison on this page is computed from current public data, not written by hand. Yield comes from the most recent dividend distribution annualized over current price. Safety scores combine yield zone, payout ratio, trend vs 5-year average, instrument type, and size — see our methodology for the exact formula. Tax-efficiency flags identify covered-call ETFs, REITs, and mREITs which distribute primarily as ordinary income.

This is educational, not investment advice.Scores reflect a snapshot of public data on the "as of" dates shown on each ticker's safety page. Verify on the issuer's investor relations page or your brokerage before making decisions.

Frequently asked

Which is better for income, ARCC or GAIN?

ARCC wins 3–2 on our six-dimension comparison, but GAIN can still be the better fit depending on your priorities — see each dimension below.

ARCC vs GAIN: which has a higher dividend yield?

ARCC yields 10.20% and GAIN yields 6.17%. On a $10,000 investment that's about $403 more in annual dividend income before taxes — though higher yield often comes with higher risk.

Is ARCC or GAIN a safer dividend in 2026?

ARCC scores 3.8/10 (Weak) on the Infnits dividend safety scale. GAIN scores 6.3/10 (Mixed). GAIN is the safer pick on our scoring model.

Which has better dividend growth, ARCC or GAIN?