Hey Daisy. Very difficult to gauge this stock, or any BDC (Business Development Company) until the full effects of the virus are known economically.
Ares is a company that invests capital in small to middle market private companies in the U.S. In return, people buy the stock to gain exposure to these smaller, private businesses.
There are obvious issues with this that stand out as soon as you read the company's business model. For one, many smaller businesses are closing shop, and will be forced to do so until this virus is dealt with.
There is going to be significant pressure on these companies and their stock prices moving forward. ARCC did bounce back from the 2008 crisis, but it took the company around 4 years to do so. It is important to note the company did cut the dividend from $0.42 to $0.35 in 2009.
Whether the COVID-19 crisis causes more or less in terms of economic downturn compared to the financial crisis remains to be seen. But, in my opinion, Ares will struggle.
So the real question for you is what is your overall investment time horizon, and are you willing to be patient waiting for a recovery, especially when there is a chance the dividend gets cut (basing this solely on past history).