What if you'd held ARCC?
A $1,000 investment in Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC) at the month-end close of 2004-10 would be worth $12,587 at the close of 2026-08 — +1158.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,820.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 2004
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $1,000 | — |
| 2005 | $893 | -10.7% |
| 2006 | $1,165 | +30.6% |
| 2007 | $986 | -15.4% |
| 2008 | $515 | -47.7% |
| 2009 | $1,273 | +147.0% |
| 2010 | $1,851 | +45.4% |
| 2011 | $1,898 | +2.6% |
| 2012 | $2,368 | +24.7% |
| 2013 | $2,630 | +11.1% |
| 2014 | $2,536 | -3.6% |
| 2015 | $2,555 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | $3,272 | +28.0% |
| 2017 | $3,419 | +4.5% |
| 2018 | $3,720 | +8.8% |
| 2019 | $4,884 | +31.3% |
| 2020 | $4,927 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $6,707 | +36.1% |
| 2022 | $6,449 | -3.8% |
| 2023 | $7,741 | +20.0% |
| 2024 | $9,272 | +19.8% |
| 2025 | $9,371 | +1.1% |
| 2026 | $9,663 | +3.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ARCC was 2009-02 ($0.60): $1,000 then is $33,000 today. The worst was 2025-01 ($20.54): $1,000 then is $964.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ARCC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC) at the start of 2004 would be worth about $12,587 today, a total return of +1158.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ARCC?
Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC)'s strongest calendar year since 2004 was 2009, a +147.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,470 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -47.7%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in ARCC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2004-10 would have grown to about $130,184 on $26,300 invested.
Did ARCC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,820. ARCC beat the S&P 500 by +84.6% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC) historical total-return data from 2004-10 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.