UBS Group Cuts Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) Price Target to $15.50

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) had its price objective decreased by UBS Group from $16.25 to $15.50 in a research report released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. UBS Group currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $14.00 to $14.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.50.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Price Performance

Shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund stock opened at $15.23 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.07 and a beta of 0.54. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $15.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.12. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a one year low of $13.66 and a one year high of $18.07.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. The company had revenue of $59.28 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $89.99 million. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a return on equity of 9.61% and a net margin of 15.97%. Equities analysts expect that Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund will post 1.82 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.8%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 260.87%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the first quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the second quarter worth approximately $51,000.

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.