Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) Announces Earnings Results

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.49, Zacks reports. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a return on equity of 10.21% and a net margin of 35.92%.The business had revenue of $49.57 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $97.30 million.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Trading Down 4.3%

Shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund stock traded down $0.67 during trading on Friday, reaching $14.81. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,098,392 shares, compared to its average volume of 871,549. The company has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.97 and a beta of 0.26. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $16.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a 52-week low of $14.64 and a 52-week high of $20.90.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.2%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund’s dividend payout ratio is currently 121.21%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MSDL. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $18.00 price objective (down from $19.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Zacks Research raised shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $16.00 price target (down from $17.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $20.00 to $18.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.00 to $16.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.58.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the third quarter worth about $32,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. US Bancorp DE lifted 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 buying an additional 1,417 shares in the last quarter. Keystone Financial Group bought a new position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $72,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the fourth quarter valued at $80,000.

About Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

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.