Capital Southwest (CSWC) vs General American Investors (GAM)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Capital Southwest (CSWC) has outperformed General American Investors (GAM) over the past year, gaining 12.2% versus a gain of 1.4%. Over five years, GAM leads with a +44.4% price change compared with -14.4% for CSWC. General American Investors is the larger company by market cap ($1.53 billion vs $1.51 billion), about 1.0 times the size.
On valuation, General American Investors trades at a lower trailing P/E (4.0x vs 13.1x for Capital Southwest). General American Investors offers the higher dividend yield (9.99% vs 9.81%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | CSWC | GAM |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $23.66 | $64.05 |
| Market cap | $1.51B | $1.53B |
| 1-day change | +0.72% | -0.12% |
| YTD return | +6.05% | +9.19% |
| 1-year return | +12.23% | +1.39% |
| 5-year return | -14.36% | +44.37% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 13.07 | 4.02 |
| Forward P/E | 10.14 | — |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.81 | $15.94 |
| Dividend yield | 9.81% | 9.99% |
| Annual dividend | $2.32 | $6.40 |
| 52-week high | $25.75 | $68.57 |
| 52-week low | $19.37 | $56.24 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -8.12% | -6.59% |
| Analyst consensus | none | — |
| Avg. price target upside | +6.93% | — |
| Average volume | 627.57K | 18.89K |
| Shares outstanding | 63.73M | 23.83M |
| Employees | 36 | — |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Finance |
| Industry | Textiles | Investment Managers |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- CSWC has outperformed GAM by 10.8 percentage points over the past year.
- Capital Southwest trades at a higher earnings multiple (13.1x vs 4.0x trailing P/E).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Capital Southwest in Consumer Discretionary and General American Investors in Finance.
About Capital Southwest
CSWC stock →Capital Southwest Corporation is a business development company. The firm specializes in credit and private equity and venture capital investments in lower middle market companies, mezzanine, later stage, mature, late venture, emerging growth, buyouts, industry consolidation, recapitalizations and growth capital investments.
Consumer Discretionary · Textiles · 36 employees
About General American Investors
GAM stock →General American Investors Company, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager.
Finance · Investment Managers
CSWC vs GAM FAQ
Which is bigger, Capital Southwest or General American Investors?
General American Investors (GAM) is larger, with a market capitalization of $1.53B compared with $1.51B for Capital Southwest (CSWC).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CSWC or GAM?
CSWC returned +12.23% over the past 12 months, compared with +1.39% for GAM (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CSWC or GAM?
GAM has the lower trailing P/E at 4.0, versus 13.1 for CSWC. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Capital Southwest or General American Investors?
General American Investors has the higher yield at 9.99%, compared with 9.81% for Capital Southwest.
Are Capital Southwest and General American Investors in the same industry?
No. Capital Southwest is in the Consumer Discretionary sector, while General American Investors is in Finance.