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

Shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $17.5833.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MSDL shares. 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on shares of 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. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $16.00 target price (down previously from $17.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $18.00 price target (down from $19.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped 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.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Stock Down 1.0%

MSDL stock opened at $15.78 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $16.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.56 and a beta of 0.26. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a fifty-two week low of $14.81 and a fifty-two week high of $21.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a current ratio of 1.45.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSDL. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake 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. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 53.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 1,178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the third quarter valued at $57,000.

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.