Capital Southwest (CSWC) vs Tri Continental (TY)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Capital Southwest (CSWC) has outperformed Tri Continental (TY) over the past year, gaining 15.0% versus a gain of 0.7%. Over five years, TY leads with a -0.1% price change compared with -13.5% for CSWC. Tri Continental is the larger company by market cap ($1.85 billion vs $1.51 billion), about 1.2 times the size.
On valuation, Tri Continental trades at a lower trailing P/E (5.5x vs 13.1x for Capital Southwest). Capital Southwest offers the higher dividend yield (9.82% vs 3.20%).
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 | TY |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $23.64 | $34.64 |
| Market cap | $1.51B | $1.85B |
| 1-day change | -0.42% | +0.49% |
| YTD return | +7.18% | +5.54% |
| 1-year return | +14.96% | +0.73% |
| 5-year return | -13.45% | -0.12% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 13.06 | 5.46 |
| Forward P/E | 10.13 | — |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.81 | $6.35 |
| Dividend yield | 9.82% | 3.20% |
| Annual dividend | $2.32 | $1.11 |
| Net income (latest FY) | $113.00M | — |
| 52-week high | $25.75 | $36.55 |
| 52-week low | $19.37 | $30.53 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -8.19% | -5.23% |
| Analyst consensus | none | none |
| Avg. price target upside | +7.02% | — |
| Average volume | 624.94K | 31.39K |
| Shares outstanding | 63.73M | 53.42M |
| Employees | 36 | — |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Finance |
| Industry | Textiles | Finance Companies |
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 TY by 14.2 percentage points over the past year.
- Capital Southwest trades at a higher earnings multiple (13.1x vs 5.5x trailing P/E).
- Capital Southwest offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (9.82% vs 3.20%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Capital Southwest in Consumer Discretionary and Tri Continental 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 Tri Continental
TY stock →Tri-Continental Corporation is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC. It primarily invests in the public equity markets of the United States.
Finance · Finance Companies
CSWC vs TY FAQ
Which is bigger, Capital Southwest or Tri Continental?
Tri Continental (TY) is larger, with a market capitalization of $1.85B compared with $1.51B for Capital Southwest (CSWC).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CSWC or TY?
CSWC returned +14.96% over the past 12 months, compared with +0.73% for TY (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CSWC or TY?
TY has the lower trailing P/E at 5.5, 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 Tri Continental?
Capital Southwest has the higher yield at 9.82%, compared with 3.20% for Tri Continental.
Are Capital Southwest and Tri Continental in the same industry?
No. Capital Southwest is in the Consumer Discretionary sector, while Tri Continental is in Finance.