Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) Upgraded by Raymond James Financial to "Moderate Buy" Rating

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) was upgraded to a "Moderate Buy" rating by Raymond James Financial, which has set a price target of $18.50, indicating a potential upside of 12.50% from its previous close.
• Other analysts have mixed views on the stock, with target prices ranging from $16.00 to $21.00; currently, the average rating stands at "Hold" with a consensus target price of $18.58.
• Insider purchases have recently increased, with the Director and the CEO acquiring significant shares, suggesting confidence in the company’s future performance.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Raymond James Financial from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a report issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm presently has a $18.50 price target on the stock. Raymond James Financial's target price points to a potential upside of 12.50% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on MSDL. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $21.00 to $19.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $20.50 to $21.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Zacks Research cut shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Friday, August 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $17.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $18.58.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE MSDL opened at $16.45 on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a 1 year low of $15.70 and a 1 year high of $21.75. The stock has a market cap of $1.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.52 and a beta of 0.25. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $17.61 and a 200 day moving average of $18.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.19.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.02). Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund had a net margin of 42.65% and a return on equity of 11.24%. The business had revenue of $99.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $99.99 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund will post 2.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

In other Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund news, Director David N. Miller purchased 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $17.69 per share, with a total value of $176,900.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 17,168 shares in the company, valued at $303,701.92. This trade represents a 139.51% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Michael Jr. Occi purchased 14,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $17.78 per share, for a total transaction of $248,920.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 21,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at $382,270. This represents a 186.67% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased 57,907 shares of company stock worth $1,025,013 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSDL. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the second quarter valued at $41,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 62.3% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,606 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 225.0% in the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,250 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 2,250 shares during the period. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the first quarter valued at $71,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund by 27.3% in the second quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 4,200 shares of the company's stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares during the period.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Company Profile

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund is a business development company. It is a non-diversified, externally managed specialty finance company focused on lending to middle-market companies. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund is based in NEW YORK.

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