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

Shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Six equities research 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 analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $17.5833.

Several research firms have issued reports on MSDL. 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 on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective (down previously from $17.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $18.00 target price (down previously from $19.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.00 to $16.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:MSDL opened at $15.32 on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a 12-month low of $14.81 and a 12-month high of $21.00. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.88. The company has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a PE ratio of 9.28 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UBS Group AG raised its stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 73.0% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,668,693 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,500,000 after buying an additional 704,394 shares during the last quarter. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $10,719,000. American Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,759,000. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, HRT Financial LP purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $6,497,000.

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.