ARCC stock today: Ares Capital ends 2025 near $20 as rates and dividends drive the next move
NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 18:02 ET — Market closed Ares Capital Corporation shares closed slightly lower in the last U.S. session of 2025, ending down 0.2% at $20.23. The business development company, or BDC, lends to middle-market firms and is built to pay out most of its taxable income to shareholders as dividends. That structure makes the stock particularly sensitive to shifts in short-term interest rates and any signs of stress in private credit. Those cross-currents are front of mind after Federal Reserve minutes showed officials were split at the December meeting even as they agreed to cut rates
