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

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.45, Zacks reports. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a return on equity of 9.49% and a net margin of 15.97%.The business had revenue of $59.28 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $89.99 million.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE MSDL traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $15.47. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 761,291 shares, compared to its average volume of 463,429. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 1.61. The stock has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.43 and a beta of 0.53. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a 12 month low of $13.66 and a 12 month high of $18.17. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.21.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 23rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund’s dividend payout ratio is currently 178.22%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MSDL shares. UBS Group boosted 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.50 to $16.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.62.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSDL. American Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 4th quarter valued at $8,759,000. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 487.2% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 543,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,734,000 after purchasing an additional 450,681 shares during the period. HRT Financial LP purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 4th quarter worth about $6,497,000. Truffle Hound Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 4th quarter valued at about $5,274,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,995,000.

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.