I have no idea why. At least there's a dividend payout tomorrow from $WINC (-0,81%) and $ARCC (+1,35%) . I can use that right away to buy a little more.

Hi everyone,

I often read posts here where people ask for feedback, but the story behind them is missing. That’s why today I’d like to share my own portfolio—and my story—in a completely transparent way.

A little about me:

I’m 31 years old and have been active on GQ for quite some time. My current net worth of just under 1.28 million euros is the result of my own hard work. Even as a child, I would occasionally try out potentially profitable business ideas on the side to earn some money—and six years ago, I took the plunge into self-employment.

I now have two companies in different industries. It became clear to me quite early on that I needed a high, recurring active income if I wanted to build up a certain level of wealth, so I left my full-time job fairly early on.

For the next 12 months, I’m planning on a monthly income of approximately 30,000 euros. In addition, I naturally have recurring income, which can fluctuate up or down over the long term.

My goal is to continue growing this wealth prudently so that I can eventually live entirely off the dividends. Currently, for tax reasons, I hold portions of two stocks ($MSFT (+0,44%) and $NOVO B (+3,05%) ) are held as individual positions in my holding account, and the rest is held in my personal account.

My Strategy and the Core of the Portfolio

I follow a classic core-satellite approach. The core—which I intend to use later as a kind of pension substitute—consists of two ETFs: the $HMWO (+0,1%) and the $QQQ. (-0,47%) I’m aware that these two holdings overlap; I continue to contribute to both monthly via a savings plan.

The individual stocks and my problem children

When it comes to individual stocks, I look for a combination of long-term trends and reliable cash flow. On the one hand, I deliberately overweight tech stocks and future classics such as $MSFT (+0,44%) , $GOOGL (-0,15%) , $NVDA (-1,52%) , $META (-0,72%) , $AMZN (-0,32%) and $AAPL (-1,17%) , because I am firmly convinced that these industries will continue to perform well in the coming years.

For my dividend strategy and the necessary cash flow, I’ve invested in quality stocks such as $ALV (+1,68%) , $MUV2, $NOVO B (+3,05%) and $UNH (+2,4%) in my portfolio. This is complemented by classic dividend-paying stocks such as $BATS (+2,16%) , $SIE (-1,12%) , $ARCC (+1,35%) and $O (+0,44%).

But let’s be honest: values like $MPW (+1,87%)
$PYPL (+1,22%) , $BAYN (-0,99%) or gambling $LILM aren’t performing at all as once hoped.

In the crypto sector, $BTC (-0,1%) as the largest holding, along with a small amount of $SOL (+0,15%) and $XRP (-0,13%) the whole thing—in the future, I’ll consolidate everything into the position $BTC (-0,1%) and add a little $4GLD (+0,79%) to it.

What’s Next

At the end of this month, I’m expecting a large incoming payment of around 50,000 euros. I’d like to split the amount and invest it both in the $HMWO (+0,1%) as well as specifically into my dividend stocks to further strengthen the foundation.

The goal is to reach a portfolio value of 1.5 million by the end of the year.

Feel free to share your thoughts—I look forward to the discussion :-)

$ARCC (+1,35%)

The business development company reported core earnings per share of $0.47, but this was below the $0.50 reported in the same quarter of the previous year.

As of June 30, 2026, Ares Capital’s investment portfolio totaled $29.3 billion (at fair value). This represents a slight decrease from $29.5 billion in the previous quarter but an increase from $27.9 billion in the same quarter of the prior year. The portfolio comprised 619 companies, compared with 566 in the same period of the prior year. The 15 largest holdings accounted for 26.7% of the total portfolio, with Ivy Hill Asset Management representing 9.7% and the Senior Direct Lending Program accounting for 3.9%. The remaining 604 portfolio companies accounted for 73.3% of total investments, underscoring the firm’s broad diversification in the middle-market lending sector.

However, net asset value per share fell from $19.59 in the first quarter and $19.90 in the same quarter of the prior year to $19.35, representing a decline of $0.55 per share over the past twelve months.

Portfolio performance in the second quarter reflected a more cautious market environment. Gross commitments totaled $2.6 billion, down from $3.2 billion in the first quarter, while outflows reached $2.9 billion, resulting in negative net commitments of $323 million.

Non-performing loans (at amortized cost) increased to $708 million, or 2.4% of the total investment portfolio, compared with $546 million, or 2.0%, in the prior year. At fair value, non-performing loans totaled $405 million, or 1.4%, compared to $327 million, or 1.2%, in the prior year.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity Position

Ares Capital’s balance sheet reflected increased debt and strategic debt management. Total debt as of June 30, 2026, amounted to $15.8 billion, compared to $14.1 billion in the prior year. The debt-to-equity ratio was 1.15 and 1.12, respectively (after deducting available cash), compared to 1.01 and 0.98 in the same period of the prior year.

Ares Capital has maintained the regular quarterly dividend for the third quarter of 2026 at $0.48 per share, as in recent quarters.

Dividend coverage appears secure based on current earnings and accumulated retained earnings. The company estimates that it will carry forward a surplus of taxable income of approximately $988 million, or $1.38 per share, from 2025 and distribute it to shareholders in 2026. This substantial buffer allows the company to maintain the dividend even if short-term earnings come under pressure due to market fluctuations or credit events.

Operating earnings of $0.47 per share fell slightly short of the quarterly dividend of $0.48, but this small shortfall will be easily offset by follow-on earnings and reflects the company’s long-term approach to dividend sustainability rather than seeking a quarterly adjustment.

Unpopular.

Boring.

Hardly ever in the headlines.

And that’s exactly why I think Ares Capital ($ARCC (+1,35%)
) so exciting.

Most stocks with a 10% dividend yield have a problem.

Ares Capital, on the other hand, has been delivering for years:

• About 607 investments or credit exposures

• A portfolio of approximately $29.5 billion

• A stable or rising regular dividend for many years

• Investment-grade rating

• Billions in available liquidity for new investments. (arcc.ares.com⁠)

And now comes the part that hardly anyone talks about.

The market for private credit has been growing rapidly for years. More and more companies are securing financing outside of traditional banks. This is precisely where Ares Capital ranks among the largest and most established providers. If this trend continues, it could give the company a long-term boost. (ares.com⁠)

Of course, there are risks. Rising loan defaults or a weaker economy could weigh on earnings.

But that’s exactly why I’m asking myself this question:

What if the market is currently underestimating one of the strongest cash flow generators of the coming years?

I keep an eye on many dividend stocks.

To me, Ares Capital is currently one of the most exciting ones.

Now it’s your turn:

Would you rather own a stock with a 10% dividend yield—or a growth stock that pays no dividends at all today?

#Dividenden
#DividendenAktien
#PassiveIncome
#Cashflow
#AresCapital
#ARCC
#PrivateCredit
#IncomeInvesting
#ValueInvesting
#LangfristigInvestieren
#FinanzielleFreiheit

I took advantage of today's slight dip to buy more of a few ETFs. I also bought some Ares Capital $ARCC (+1,35%) to lower the average cost.

On the other hand, I sold off the $SXYD (+0,59%) that wasn’t performing well enough for me.

The cashback and roundup from Trade Republic will now go toward $ASWM (+0,72%) , from which I’m hoping for some price appreciation in addition to the dividends.

$ARCC (+1,35%)

Hello everyone!

I started building up a small portfolio for my junior about 12 years ago. Not everything went well...but $GOOGL (-0,15%) beat them all: 81 shares, on average for 47€! We sold 15 shares in the fall for 270€, the remaining position is now up almost 20k!

The boy is only 13 - and his mother and sister are envious ;)

For some time now, I've been tormented by the question: should I reallocate or let it run? If I now gradually shift the position towards "income", e.g. into a $K0MR (+0,42%), $JEGP (+0,78%) or $JEPQ (-0,2%) (or a mixture thereof), that would certainly be a good investment in the long term:

20k * 6% = ~100€ per month!

The rest of the portfolio ($AWF , $AM (-4,62%) , $ARCC (+1,35%) , $DLR (+0,39%) , $D (-0,5%) & $RITM (+3,74%)) is also already generating €100 - I think that's a good basis for long-term wealth accumulation with a focus on a 2-ETF strategy!

What do you think?