Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund (NYSE:MSD) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest plunged 44.5% in April to 21,053 shares as of April 15, representing about 0.1% of shares short and a short-interest ratio of just 0.2 days based on average daily volume.
• The fund recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share (annualized $0.56), implying a 7.6% yield, with the ex-dividend date and record date on March 31 and payment on April 15.
• Several institutional investors boosted or initiated positions—notably Royal Bank of Canada (+9.9% to 445,172 shares), GraniteShares (+9.7% to 401,260 shares), Invesco (+1.7% to 333,888 shares), Ameriprise (+10.8% to 304,542 shares), and a new stake from Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors.

Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund (NYSE:MSD - Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 21,053 shares, a drop of 44.5% from the March 31st total of 37,956 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 96,880 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund by 9.9% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 445,172 shares of the company's stock worth $3,290,000 after acquiring an additional 40,071 shares during the period. GraniteShares Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. GraniteShares Advisors LLC now owns 401,260 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,957,000 after purchasing an additional 35,343 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 333,888 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,467,000 after purchasing an additional 5,579 shares during the period. Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,386,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund by 10.8% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 304,542 shares of the company's stock worth $2,245,000 after purchasing an additional 29,630 shares during the period.

Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund Stock Performance

MSD traded up $0.02 during trading on Monday, hitting $7.39. The stock had a trading volume of 48,943 shares, compared to its average volume of 93,689. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $7.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.45. Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund has a one year low of $6.91 and a one year high of $7.94.

Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.6%.

Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund Company Profile

Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund NYSE: MSD is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide a high level of current income. The fund primarily invests in U.S. dollar-denominated sovereign and corporate debt securities issued by governments and corporations in emerging market countries.

MSD's investment strategy emphasizes diversification across regions, sectors and issuers. The fund's portfolio managers use fundamental credit analysis to identify opportunities in markets such as Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.