Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Ares Capital Corp (ARCC)

805 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in ARCC. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↓ -15
Streak
1Q ▼
Buyers last Q
53%

Smart Money Signals — ARCC

Based on 811 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📉

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their ARCC positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (98% of max)

98% of all-time peak
811 hedge funds hold ARCC right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
〰️

Stable — ownership unchanged year-over-year

fund count last 6Q
The number of hedge funds holding ARCC is almost the same as a year ago (-7 funds, -1% change). No significant rush to buy or sell — institutional backing is holding steady.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 53% buying

420 buying366 selling
Last quarter: 420 funds bought or added vs 366 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
⚠️

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-44 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 83 → 63 → 141 → 97. Each quarter fewer new institutions are entering. This usually means most funds that wanted in are already in — the stock is well-known but the pool of potential new buyers is shrinking.
🔒

63% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 63% conviction (2yr+) ■ 20% medium ■ 17% new
511 out of 811 hedge funds have held ARCC for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares +1%, value -16%

Value
-15%
Shares
+1%
Last quarter: funds added +1% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -16%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
🚀

Acceleration phase — new buyers rushing in

100 → 83 → 63 → 141 → 97 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 83 → 63 → 141 → 97. The pace of institutional discovery is accelerating sharply. This is the 'hot idea' phase — the thesis is being passed from fund to fund. You are not late — the accumulation wave is still building.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 66% veterans vs 21% newcomers

■ 66% veterans ■ 13% 1-2yr ■ 21% new
Entry-cohort mix of 827 holders: 548 (66%) are 2+ year veterans, 108 entered 1–2 years ago, and 171 (21%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
✅

Strong quality — 34% AUM from major funds

34% from top-100 AUM funds
39 of 804 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 34% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
3.4
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.4/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — ARCC

In 2026 Q1, 420 hedge funds were net buyers of ARCC (97 opened a new position, 323 added to an existing one), while 366 reduced or exited (254 trimmed, 112 sold completely) — a 53% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. 34% of total institutional value in ARCC is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: -15 funds (more exits than new entries). Total institutional holders: 811.

Hedge Fund Ownership: ARCC

How many hedge funds hold ARCC — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of ARCC vs. share price

Market Analysis: ARCC

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: ARCC

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Ares Capital Corp (ARCC) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much ARCC has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLF) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 78d ago
ARCC
+3.3%
XLF
+1220.3%

ARCC outperformed XLF by -1217.0% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 33d ago
ARCC
-1.5%
XLF
+4.8%

Since the filing became public, ARCC outperformed XLF by -6.3% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

38 top-rated funds 6 high-conviction
Consensus
6.9
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
4.0
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: ARCC
805 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in ARCC. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 805 826 -2.54%
13F Shares 251M 249M 0.97%
Total Value $4.20B $5.00B -15.96%
New Positions 96 141 -45
Increased Positions 316 291 +25
Closed Positions 117 93 +24
Reduced Positions 250 257 -7
Total Calls 9 7 28.57%
Total Puts 14 13 7.69%
PUT/CALL Ratio 1.56 1.86 Bearish

Statistics: ARCC

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Valuation Measures Data as of: --

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PEG Ratio (5yr expected) --
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Price/Book (mrq) --
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Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

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Profit Margin --
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Total Cash (mrq) --
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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

805 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in ARCC. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 ARCC holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Muzinich & Co., Inc. 14.00% 2,220,399 $40.0M
2 Melia Wealth LLC 7.12% 815,892 $14.7M
3 Panoramic Investment Advisors, LLC 7.12% 815,994 $14.7M
4 Estate Planners Group, LLC 5.95% 678,831 $13.7M
5 Smith Asset Management Co., LLC 5.32% 344,279 $6.2M
6 Challenger Wealth Management 3.24% 225,180 $4.1M
7 Ares Management LLC 3.10% 2,612,475 $47.1M
8 Enstar Group LTD 3.01% 363,351 $6.5M
9 Foresight Capital Management Advisors, INC. 2.96% 295,154 $5.3M
10 Generali Asset Management SPA SGR 2.84% 7,547,995 $136.0M
11 Bruni J V & Co /Co 2.41% 1,279,040 $23.0M
12 Baugh & Associates, LLC 2.37% 304,122 $5.5M
13 Sound Income Strategies, LLC 2.28% 2,663,571 $47.2M
14 Progeny 3, Inc. 2.14% 2,224,728 $40.1M
15 Cornerstone Select Advisors, LLC 1.85% 163,540 $2.9M
16 LFG Wealth Partners, LLC 1.78% 164,037 $3.0M
17 Prairiewood Capital, LLC 1.78% 341,678 $6.2M
18 Trinity Financial Advisors LLC 1.74% 338,391 $6.1M
19 Naviter Wealth, LLC 1.60% 708,827 $12.8M
20 one8zero8, LLC 1.55% 387,001 $7.0M
21 Global Strategic Management Inc 1.54% 103,112 $1.9M
22 Bayview Asset Management, LLC 1.39% 200,000 $3.6M
23 Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC 1.38% 134,528 $2.4M
24 Ticino Wealth 1.36% 209,448 $3.9M
25 Stableford Capital II LLC 1.29% 192,164 $3.5M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Ares Capital Corp (ARCC)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for ARCC?

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their ARCC positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

What is the institutional breadth score for ARCC?

Slight buying edge — 53% buying: Last quarter: 420 funds bought or added vs 366 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for ARCC holders?

Strong quality — 34% AUM from major funds: 39 of 804 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 34% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held ARCC?

63% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 511 out of 811 hedge funds have held ARCC for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Ares Capital Corp (ARCC) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, ARCC has moved -1.5% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +4.8% for the XLF sector ETF — an outperformance of -6.3%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), ARCC has gained +3.3% vs +1220.3% for XLF. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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