Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) Reaches New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $13.66 and last traded at $13.6450, with a volume of 209692 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.27.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on MSDL shares. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.25 to $15.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.50.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Stock Up 0.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 1.71. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.05. The company has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.86 and a beta of 0.58.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 9.61%. The company had revenue of $88.77 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $89.99 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund will post 1.82 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.1%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund’s payout ratio is 260.87%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the first quarter valued at $42,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 2nd quarter worth about $51,000. Harbour Investments Inc. acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the fourth quarter worth about $93,000. Finally, Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $165,000.

About Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE: MSDL) is a business development company that seeks to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation through investments in privately held middle-market companies. The fund is externally managed by MS Capital Partners Adviser Inc, an investment adviser affiliated with Morgan Stanley Investment Management.

MSDL primarily invests in directly originated senior secured loans, including first-lien and unitranche loans, to companies across a range of industries.