
Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc.
ARDCFinancial Services · Asset Management · Stock · monthly payer
Forward Yield
11.87%
Annual Dividend
$1.35
Payout Ratio
648%
5-Yr Growth
2.4%
Ex-Date
Oct 19, 2026
Frequency
Monthly
Key facts about ARDC's dividend
Data as of · Source: SmarterDividends data
- As of Oct 18, 2026, Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc. (ARDC) has a forward dividend yield of 11.87%, based on an annual dividend of $1.35 per share and a share price of $11.37.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, ARDC's dividend safety grade from SmarterDividends is D (44 out of 100), which rates the dividend as unsafe.
- ARDC last cut its regular dividend in 2025.
- ARDC's next ex-dividend date is Oct 19, 2026, with payment on Oct 30, 2026. Shares must be owned before that date to receive the dividend.
- ARDC's dividend has grown at an average rate of 2.4% a year over the past five years.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, ARDC's 11.87% yield is 27% above its five-year average yield of 9.35%.
- As of Oct 18, 2026, SmarterDividends' blended fair-value estimate for ARDC is $20.80 per share, 83% above the $11.37 share price, so ARDC screens as undervalued.
- Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc. (ARDC) pays its dividend monthly, 12 times a year.
Cite this page
SmarterDividends, "ARDC Dividend: Yield, Safety Grade & Next Ex-Date," updated Oct 18, 2026, https://smarterdividends.com/stocks/ARDC
Summary
As of Oct 18, 2026, Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc. (ARDC) yields 11.87% ($1.35 a year per share) and has a dividend safety grade of D (44/100).
Is ARDC a good dividend stock?
MixedAres Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc. (ARDC) pays a monthly dividend yielding 11.87% ($1.35/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of D. The picture is mixed — the dividend pays, but safety or growth signals are weaker than ideal.
Advantages
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2025
- Elevated payout ratio (648%)
- Very high yield can signal elevated risk
- Share price is down over the past 5 years
- Below-average dividend safety score
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 11.87%
- Payout Ratio
- 648%
- Annual Dividend
- $1.35
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 2.4%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Oct 19, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 0
- Frequency
- monthly
- Beta
- —
- Market Cap
- $272.5M
- P/E Ratio
- 54.1
- 5-Yr Total Return
- -28%
- 52-Week Range
- $11.21 – $13.99
- Dividend Safety
- D · 44/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2025)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ARDC a good dividend stock?
Mixed. Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc. (ARDC) pays a monthly dividend yielding 11.87% ($1.35/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of D. The picture is mixed — the dividend pays, but safety or growth signals are weaker than ideal.
Is ARDC undervalued?
Based on a blend of discounted cash flow, a dividend-discount model and an earnings-multiple estimate, ARDC's fair value is about $20.80 versus a $11.37 share price — so it looks undervalued (+83% vs. fair value).
Is ARDC's dividend safe?
ARDC has a dividend-safety grade of D (44/100), based on its payout coverage, free-cash-flow, 0-year growth streak, a dividend cut in 2025, debt and yield-versus-history.
What is ARDC's fair value?
Our blended fair-value estimate for ARDC is about $20.80 per share, roughly 83% above the current $11.37 price — combining a discounted cash flow, a dividend-discount model and an earnings multiple.
Is ARDC a buy, hold, or sell?
We don't issue formal ratings, but on the data ARDC screens as "mixed" and undervalued. Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc. (ARDC) pays a monthly dividend yielding 11.87% ($1.35/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of D. The picture is mixed — the dividend pays, but safety or growth signals are weaker than ideal. This is research for your own analysis, not investment advice.
Will ARDC cut its dividend?
ARDC earns a dividend-safety grade of D (44/100), and has cut its dividend before (last in 2025). A higher score means lower cut risk based on payout coverage, cash flow and history — but no score guarantees a dividend.
Does ARDC pay a dividend?
Yes. Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc. pays a monthly dividend of about $1.35 per share annually, a forward yield of roughly 11.87%.
What is ARDC's dividend yield?
As of Oct 18, 2026, ARDC's forward dividend yield is 11.87%, based on a $1.35 annual dividend and a $11.37 share price.
What is ARDC's dividend per share?
As of Oct 18, 2026, ARDC pays $1.35 per share per year, distributed on a monthly basis.
What is ARDC's dividend payout ratio?
As of Oct 18, 2026, ARDC's payout ratio is 648% of trailing 12-month earnings — an elevated level worth watching, as it leaves less cushion if earnings dip.
How many years has ARDC grown its dividend?
ARDC does not currently have a long dividend-growth streak on record.
When is the next ARDC ex-dividend date?
As of Oct 18, 2026, the next ex-dividend date on record for ARDC is Oct 19, 2026.
ARDC Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
-17%
3 Years
-12%
5 Years
-28%
52-Week Range
$11.21 – $13.99
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is ARDC worth?
Undervaluedlow confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund, Inc. is $20.80 per share, versus a market price of $11.37. That implies 83% of upside — a margin of safety of about 45%.
Fair Value
$20.80
Current Price
$11.37
Upside
+83%
Margin of Safety
45%
How we get there
Dividend discount
Discounts the future dividend stream back to today.
Assumptions: 9.3% discount rate (CAPM), 2.9% growth for five years fading to 2.5% over the next five, $0.21 EPS, $1.35 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
ARDC Dividend Safety Score
Risky
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
Full ARDC dividend history →| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Jul 20, 2026 | Jul 31, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Jun 22, 2026 | Jun 30, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| May 21, 2026 | May 29, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Apr 20, 2026 | Apr 30, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Mar 31, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Feb 20, 2026 | Feb 27, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Jan 20, 2026 | Jan 30, 2026 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Dec 22, 2025 | Dec 31, 2025 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Nov 21, 2025 | Nov 28, 2025 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Oct 20, 2025 | Oct 31, 2025 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Sep 22, 2025 | Sep 30, 2025 | $0.1130 | regular |
| Aug 21, 2025 | Aug 29, 2025 | $0.1130 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $1.35 / yr per share
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