Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the seven research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $15.6250.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on MSDL shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.50 to $16.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.00 to $16.25 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $14.00 to $14.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Price Performance

Shares of MSDL stock opened at $15.76 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $15.31 and its 200 day moving average is $15.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The stock has a market cap of $1.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.61 and a beta of 0.52. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a twelve month low of $13.66 and a twelve month high of $19.94.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.02. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a return on equity of 9.73% and a net margin of 22.84%.The business had revenue of $58.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $91.89 million. Research analysts expect that Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund will post 1.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 24th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 178.22%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the first quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 61.9% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,707 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 1,417 shares during the period.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Company Profile

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE: MSDL) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide investors with attractive current income and the potential for capital appreciation. The fund primarily invests in senior secured loans and other debt instruments issued by middle-market companies. By focusing on floating-rate structures, it aims to offer a measure of protection against rising interest rates while generating regular cash distributions.

The fund’s investment strategy centers on building a diversified portfolio of direct lending opportunities across a broad range of industries, including healthcare, business services, and industrials.