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

Shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $15.5833.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MSDL. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.00 to $14.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $17.00 price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $18.50 to $16.50 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.50 to $14.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Stock Performance

NYSE MSDL opened at $14.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 45.48 and a quick ratio of 45.48. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a 1-year low of $14.25 and a 1-year high of $20.90. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 10.43 and a beta of 0.34.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.49. The business had revenue of $49.57 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $97.30 million. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a return on equity of 9.88% and a net margin of 30.73%. On average, research analysts predict that Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund will post 2.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 142.86%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jeff M. Day bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $14.89 per share, with a total value of $74,450.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 22,818 shares in the company, valued at $339,760.02. This trade represents a 28.06% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Michael Jr. Occi bought 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $14.87 per share, for a total transaction of $104,090.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 28,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $423,795. The trade was a 32.56% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSDL. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the third quarter valued at $30,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 62.3% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 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.