Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) Receives $17.58 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com 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 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $17.5833.

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective 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. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $18.00 price target (down previously from $19.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $20.00 to $18.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $16.00 target price (down from $17.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th.

Institutional Trading of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 53.2% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 155,232 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,098,000 after purchasing an additional 53,902 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 682.5% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 198,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,966,000 after purchasing an additional 173,292 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 66.4% during the 2nd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 40,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $762,000 after buying an additional 16,257 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 85.1% in the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 370,759 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,941,000 after buying an additional 170,467 shares during the period. Finally, MQS Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $557,000.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Stock Performance

Shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund stock opened at $15.53 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.95. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a 12 month low of $14.81 and a 12 month high of $21.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.41 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.45.

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.