JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has Lowered Expectations for Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) Stock Price

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) had its target price decreased by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $16.50 to $14.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would suggest a potential downside of 4.08% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $17.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $18.50 to $16.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $16.00 to $14.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.58.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Stock Performance

NYSE:MSDL opened at $14.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 45.48 and a current ratio of 45.48. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a fifty-two week low of $14.25 and a fifty-two week high of $20.90. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.61. The company has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 10.43 and a beta of 0.34.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.49. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 9.88%. The firm had revenue of $49.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $97.30 million. Research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

In related news, CEO Michael Jr. Occi bought 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $14.87 per share, for a total transaction of $104,090.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 28,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $423,795. The trade was a 32.56% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jeff M. Day bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $14.89 per share, for a total transaction of $74,450.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider owned 22,818 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $339,760.02. This represents a 28.06% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, 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 buying an additional 1,000 shares during the period.

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.