GECCI vs SLRC

For growth investors, SLR Investment Corp.

(SLRC) is the stronger pick with 24. 8% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -1. 7% for Great Elm Capital Corp. 8. 50% Notes DUE 2029 (GECCI). 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 forward P/E, SLR Investment Corp.

is actually cheaper at 8. 5x.

Over the past 5 years, Great Elm Capital Corp.

8. 50% Notes DUE 2029 (GECCI) delivered a total return of +19. 4%, compared to +16. 2% for SLR Investment Corp. (SLRC). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SLRC returned +64. 4% versus GECCI's +19. 4%. 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), Great Elm Capital Corp.

8. 50% Notes DUE 2029 (GECCI) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 58β versus SLR Investment Corp. 's 0. 76β — meaning SLRC is approximately 32% more volatile than GECCI relative to the S&P 500.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), SLR Investment Corp.

(SLRC) is pulling ahead at 24. 8% versus -1. 7% for Great Elm Capital Corp. 8. 50% Notes DUE 2029 (GECCI). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: SLR Investment Corp. grew EPS -3. 4% year-over-year, compared to -813. 9% for Great Elm Capital Corp. 8. 50% Notes DUE 2029. 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.

Great Elm Capital Corp.

8. 50% Notes DUE 2029 (GECCI) is the more profitable company, earning 57. 7% net margin versus 42. 0% for SLR Investment Corp. — meaning it keeps 57. 7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GECCI leads at 88. 3% versus 72. 9% for SLRC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GECCI leads at 93. 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, SLR Investment Corp.

(SLRC) trades at 8. 5x forward P/E versus 20. 0x for Great Elm Capital Corp. 8. 50% Notes DUE 2029 — 11. 5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

SLR Investment Corp. (SLRC) offers the highest yield at 12. 0%, versus 0. 2% for Great Elm Capital Corp. 8. 50% Notes DUE 2029 (GECCI).

For long-horizon retirement investors, SLR Investment Corp.

(SLRC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 76), 12. 0% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SLRC: +64. 4%, GECCI: +19. 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: GECCI is a small-cap quality compounder stock; SLRC is a small-cap high-growth stock. SLRC pays a dividend while GECCI does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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.