OXSQ vs GAIN vs SLRC

For growth investors, Oxford Square Capital Corp.

(OXSQ) is the stronger pick with 32. 0% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -12. 9% for Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN). SLR Investment Corp. (SLRC) offers the better valuation at 8. 0x trailing P/E (8. 5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate SLR Investment Corp. (SLRC) a "Buy" — based on 15 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, SLR Investment Corp.

(SLRC) is the cheapest at 8. 0x versus Gladstone Investment Corporation at 9. 3x. On forward P/E, Oxford Square Capital Corp. is actually cheaper at 7. 4x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN) delivered a total return of +72.

0%, compared to -18. 4% for Oxford Square Capital Corp. (OXSQ). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GAIN returned +319. 3% versus OXSQ's +60. 8%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

53β versus SLR Investment Corp. 's 0. 76β — meaning SLRC is approximately 43% more volatile than GAIN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 91% versus 115% for SLR Investment Corp. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Oxford Square Capital Corp.

(OXSQ) is pulling ahead at 32. 0% versus -12. 9% for Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: SLR Investment Corp. grew EPS -3. 4% year-over-year, compared to -370. 0% for Oxford Square Capital Corp.. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN) is the more profitable company, earning 72.

7% net margin versus -79. 7% for Oxford Square Capital Corp. — meaning it keeps 72. 7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SLRC leads at 72. 9% versus -39. 6% for OXSQ. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — OXSQ leads at 81. 5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Oxford Square Capital Corp.

(OXSQ) trades at 7. 4x forward P/E versus 40. 7x for Gladstone Investment Corporation — 33. 2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SLRC: 19. 0% to $16. 25.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Oxford Square Capital Corp. (OXSQ) offers the highest yield at 22. 0%, versus 10. 0% for Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

53), 10. 0% yield, +319. 3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (GAIN: +319. 3%, SLRC: +64. 4%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: OXSQ is a small-cap high-growth stock; GAIN is a small-cap deep-value stock; SLRC is a small-cap high-growth stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.