Allied Capital Completes $118 Million Equity Offering.

WASHINGTON -- Allied Capital Corporation (NYSE:ALD) announced today that the Company has completed the sale of 4,500,000 shares of common stock at $27.45 per share for total proceeds, before the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses, of $123.5 million. Net proceeds, after the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses, were $118.1 million. Allied Capital has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 675,000 shares at $27.45 per share to cover over-allotments, if any. The shares were issued from the Company's shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to reduce borrowings under its revolving line of credit, to invest in debt or equity securities in primarily privately negotiated transactions, and for other general corporate purposes. Merrill Lynch & Co., Bank of America Securities LLC, and Citigroup acted as joint book-running managers for the offering. Lehman Brothers and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey acted as co-managers for the offering.

We sold these securities pursuant to a registration statement that has been filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in this offering, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. The offering may be made only by means of a prospectus and a related prospectus supplement, copies of which may be obtained from Merrill Lynch & Co., 4 World Financial Center, 250 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10080, Banc of America Securities LLC, 9 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10013.

About Allied Capital

Allied Capital Corporation, a leading business development company with total assets of more than $4 billion, has paid regular, quarterly cash dividends to shareholders since 1963. Allied Capital invests in the American entrepreneurial economy by providing capital to companies seeking a long-term financial partner and access to managerial resources often unavailable to smaller companies. Since its IPO in 1960, Allied Capital has provided long-term debt and equity financing to thousands of middle market companies. In serving its shareholders, Allied Capital helps build middle market businesses and support American jobs. The Company's private finance portfolio includes investments in over 100 companies that generate aggregate revenues of more than $12 billion and employ more than 90,000 people.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, Allied Capital offers shareholders the opportunity to participate in the private equity industry through an investment in the Company's New York Stock Exchange-listed stock, which is traded under the symbol ALD. For more information, please visit www.alliedcapital.com, call Allied Capital investor relations toll-free at [phone], or e-mail us at [e-mail]. All media inquiries should be directed to Stan Collender of Qorvis Communications at [phone].

Forward-Looking Statements

The information contained in this press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. Certain factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements, and some of these factors are enumerated in Allied Capital's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.