Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) Price Target Lowered to $14.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) had its price objective decreased by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $16.50 to $14.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would suggest a potential downside of 4.35% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $18.50 to $16.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $17.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.00 to $14.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.92.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Price Performance

Shares of MSDL traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $14.64. 371,455 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 863,436. The company has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 10.45 and a beta of 0.34. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a 52-week low of $14.25 and a 52-week high of $20.90. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $15.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 45.48 and a current ratio of 45.48.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.49. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 9.88%. The firm had revenue of $49.57 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $97.30 million. On average, equities analysts predict that Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund news, CEO Michael Jr. Occi bought 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $14.87 per share, with a total value of $104,090.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 28,500 shares in the company, valued at $423,795. This represents a 32.56% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jeff M. Day purchased 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $14.89 per share, with a total value of $74,450.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 22,818 shares in the company, valued at $339,760.02. The trade was a 28.06% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 53.2% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 155,232 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,098,000 after buying an additional 53,902 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 682.5% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 198,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,966,000 after acquiring an additional 173,292 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the second quarter worth about $342,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 62.3% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 83.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 26,180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $490,000 after purchasing an additional 11,923 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.