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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 FORM 10 - K ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File No. 814-00663 ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION Maryland ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) 245 Park Avenue , 44th Floor , New York , New York 10167 ( Address of principal executive offices ) ( Zip Code ) ( 212 ) 750-7300 ( Registrant's telephone number , including area code ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol Title of each class Common Stock , par value $ 0.001 per share 6.875 % Senior Notes due 2047 ARCC AFC 33-1089684 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) Name of each exchange on which registered The NASDAQ Global Select Market The New York Stock Exchange Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes ý No o Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes o No ý Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days : Yes ý No o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( Section $ 232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes o No o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of “ large accelerated filer , ” “ accelerated filer , ” “ smaller reporting company " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act : Large accelerated filer ý Accelerated filer o Non - accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company o Emerging Growth Company o If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . O Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Yes ý No o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes o No ý The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non - affiliates of the registrant on June 30 , 2020 , based on the closing price on that date of $ 14.45 on The NASDAQ Global Select Market , was approximately $ 6,072,661,908 . As of February 4 , 2021 , there were 422,853,247 shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding . Portions of the registrant's Proxy Statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10 - K are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10 - K .