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Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) Competitors

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund logo
$15.55 +0.10 (+0.63%)
Closing price 07/14/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$15.60 +0.05 (+0.33%)
As of 07/14/2026 07:48 PM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.

MSDL vs. MAIN, GBDC, FSK, HTGC, and TSLX

Should you buy Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund stock or one of its competitors? MarketBeat compares Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund with other companies and stocks that may be similar based on industry, sector, market capitalization, business model, investor interest, or shared news coverage. Companies and stocks commonly compared with Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund include Main Street Capital (MAIN), Golub Capital BDC (GBDC), FS KKR Capital (FSK), Hercules Capital (HTGC), and Sixth Street Specialty Lending (TSLX). These companies are all part of the "fin - sbic&commrl" industry.

How does Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund compare to Main Street Capital?

Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN) and Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their media sentiment, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Main Street Capital pays an annual dividend of $3.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.0%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.6%. Main Street Capital pays out 66.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays out 178.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Main Street Capital has raised its dividend for 4 consecutive years.

20.3% of Main Street Capital shares are held by institutional investors. 3.8% of Main Street Capital shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

In the previous week, Main Street Capital had 16 more articles in the media than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. MarketBeat recorded 16 mentions for Main Street Capital and 0 mentions for Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Main Street Capital's average media sentiment score of 0.82 beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's score of 0.00 indicating that Main Street Capital is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Overall Sentiment
Main Street Capital Positive
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Neutral

Main Street Capital presently has a consensus target price of $59.14, suggesting a potential upside of 11.37%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a consensus target price of $15.63, suggesting a potential upside of 0.50%. Given Main Street Capital's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Main Street Capital is more favorable than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Main Street Capital
1 Sell rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.18
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund
0 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.14

Main Street Capital has a beta of 0.72, suggesting that its share price is 28% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a beta of 0.52, suggesting that its share price is 48% less volatile than the broader market.

Main Street Capital has a net margin of 74.86% compared to Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's net margin of 22.84%. Main Street Capital's return on equity of 12.01% beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Main Street Capital74.86% 12.01% 6.47%
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund 22.84%9.73%4.37%

Main Street Capital has higher revenue and earnings than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Main Street Capital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Main Street Capital$566.39M8.72$493.40M$4.7511.18
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund$397.29M3.32$122.09M$1.0115.39

Summary

Main Street Capital beats Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund on 17 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund compare to Golub Capital BDC?

Golub Capital BDC (NASDAQ:GBDC) and Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their media sentiment, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends and earnings.

Golub Capital BDC has a net margin of 24.64% compared to Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's net margin of 22.84%. Golub Capital BDC's return on equity of 10.20% beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Golub Capital BDC24.64% 10.20% 4.47%
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund 22.84%9.73%4.37%

Golub Capital BDC has a beta of 0.39, suggesting that its share price is 61% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a beta of 0.52, suggesting that its share price is 48% less volatile than the broader market.

Golub Capital BDC currently has a consensus price target of $14.00, indicating a potential upside of 7.53%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a consensus price target of $15.63, indicating a potential upside of 0.50%. Given Golub Capital BDC's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Golub Capital BDC is more favorable than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Golub Capital BDC
0 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.86
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund
0 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.14

Golub Capital BDC pays an annual dividend of $1.32 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.1%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.6%. Golub Capital BDC pays out 171.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays out 178.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

Golub Capital BDC has higher revenue and earnings than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Golub Capital BDC, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Golub Capital BDC$870.78M3.89$376.65M$0.7716.91
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund$397.29M3.32$122.09M$1.0115.39

In the previous week, Golub Capital BDC had 6 more articles in the media than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. MarketBeat recorded 6 mentions for Golub Capital BDC and 0 mentions for Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Golub Capital BDC's average media sentiment score of 1.15 beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's score of 0.00 indicating that Golub Capital BDC is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Overall Sentiment
Golub Capital BDC Positive
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Neutral

42.4% of Golub Capital BDC shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of Golub Capital BDC shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Golub Capital BDC beats Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund on 16 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund compare to FS KKR Capital?

FS KKR Capital (NYSE:FSK) and Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, media sentiment, risk and dividends.

In the previous week, FS KKR Capital had 7 more articles in the media than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. MarketBeat recorded 7 mentions for FS KKR Capital and 0 mentions for Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. FS KKR Capital's average media sentiment score of 0.56 beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's score of 0.00 indicating that FS KKR Capital is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Overall Sentiment
FS KKR Capital Positive
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Neutral

36.3% of FS KKR Capital shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of FS KKR Capital shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

FS KKR Capital presently has a consensus price target of $10.58, indicating a potential downside of 1.86%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a consensus price target of $15.63, indicating a potential upside of 0.50%. Given Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund is more favorable than FS KKR Capital.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
FS KKR Capital
1 Sell rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1.88
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund
0 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.14

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a net margin of 22.84% compared to FS KKR Capital's net margin of -38.65%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's return on equity of 9.73% beat FS KKR Capital's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
FS KKR Capital-38.65% 4.34% 1.85%
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund 22.84%9.73%4.37%

FS KKR Capital has a beta of 0.82, meaning that its stock price is 18% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a beta of 0.52, meaning that its stock price is 48% less volatile than the broader market.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has lower revenue, but higher earnings than FS KKR Capital. FS KKR Capital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
FS KKR Capital$1.52B1.99$11M-$1.97N/A
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund$397.29M3.32$122.09M$1.0115.39

FS KKR Capital pays an annual dividend of $1.68 per share and has a dividend yield of 15.6%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.6%. FS KKR Capital pays out -85.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays out 178.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. FS KKR Capital is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund beats FS KKR Capital on 11 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund compare to Hercules Capital?

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) and Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, media sentiment, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership and dividends.

19.7% of Hercules Capital shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.0% of Hercules Capital shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Hercules Capital has a net margin of 59.85% compared to Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's net margin of 22.84%. Hercules Capital's return on equity of 16.05% beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Hercules Capital59.85% 16.05% 7.78%
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund 22.84%9.73%4.37%

Hercules Capital pays an annual dividend of $1.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.0%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.6%. Hercules Capital pays out 90.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays out 178.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Hercules Capital has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years.

Hercules Capital has higher revenue and earnings than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Hercules Capital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Hercules Capital$532.49M5.64$339.74M$1.779.07
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund$397.29M3.32$122.09M$1.0115.39

In the previous week, Hercules Capital had 1 more articles in the media than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. MarketBeat recorded 1 mentions for Hercules Capital and 0 mentions for Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Hercules Capital's average media sentiment score of 0.95 beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's score of 0.00 indicating that Hercules Capital is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Overall Sentiment
Hercules Capital Positive
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Neutral

Hercules Capital has a beta of 0.79, suggesting that its stock price is 21% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a beta of 0.52, suggesting that its stock price is 48% less volatile than the broader market.

Hercules Capital currently has a consensus target price of $18.21, suggesting a potential upside of 13.41%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a consensus target price of $15.63, suggesting a potential upside of 0.50%. Given Hercules Capital's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Hercules Capital is more favorable than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Hercules Capital
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.75
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund
0 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.14

Summary

Hercules Capital beats Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund on 18 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund compare to Sixth Street Specialty Lending?

Sixth Street Specialty Lending (NYSE:TSLX) and Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE:MSDL) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, risk, dividends, media sentiment and institutional ownership.

Sixth Street Specialty Lending presently has a consensus price target of $19.67, suggesting a potential upside of 14.31%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a consensus price target of $15.63, suggesting a potential upside of 0.50%. Given Sixth Street Specialty Lending's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Sixth Street Specialty Lending is more favorable than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Sixth Street Specialty Lending
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
5 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.63
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund
0 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.14

In the previous week, Sixth Street Specialty Lending had 5 more articles in the media than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. MarketBeat recorded 5 mentions for Sixth Street Specialty Lending and 0 mentions for Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Sixth Street Specialty Lending's average media sentiment score of 1.23 beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's score of 0.00 indicating that Sixth Street Specialty Lending is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Overall Sentiment
Sixth Street Specialty Lending Positive
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Neutral

Sixth Street Specialty Lending pays an annual dividend of $1.68 per share and has a dividend yield of 9.8%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.6%. Sixth Street Specialty Lending pays out 146.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund pays out 178.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

70.3% of Sixth Street Specialty Lending shares are held by institutional investors. 3.8% of Sixth Street Specialty Lending shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Sixth Street Specialty Lending has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Sixth Street Specialty Lending is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Sixth Street Specialty Lending$151.93M10.76$209.99M$1.1514.96
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund$397.29M3.32$122.09M$1.0115.39

Sixth Street Specialty Lending has a beta of 0.59, meaning that its stock price is 41% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has a beta of 0.52, meaning that its stock price is 48% less volatile than the broader market.

Sixth Street Specialty Lending has a net margin of 25.25% compared to Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's net margin of 22.84%. Sixth Street Specialty Lending's return on equity of 11.92% beat Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Sixth Street Specialty Lending25.25% 11.92% 5.54%
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund 22.84%9.73%4.37%

Summary

Sixth Street Specialty Lending beats Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund on 15 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding MSDL and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.
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Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NYSE and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.
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MSDL vs. The Competition

MetricMorgan Stanley Direct Lending FundFIN IndustryFinance SectorNYSE Exchange
Market Cap$1.31B$1.30B$14.28B$23.45B
Dividend Yield11.65%13.26%5.70%4.02%
P/E Ratio15.3911.3320.5231.16
Price / Sales3.3213.4845.0219.76
Price / Cash5.796.8519.3224.88
Price / Book0.770.772.254.78
Net Income$122.09M$121.13M$1.13B$1.07B
7 Day Performance2.20%1.34%0.94%0.78%
1 Month Performance0.93%-1.05%1.19%0.21%
1 Year Performance-19.90%-23.97%13.45%18.52%

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Competitors List

CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
MSDL
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund
1.1352 of 5 stars
$15.55
+0.6%
$15.63
+0.5%
-20.2%$1.31B$397.29M15.39N/A
MAIN
Main Street Capital
3.5197 of 5 stars
$52.83
+0.6%
$59.14
+12.0%
-16.4%$4.91B$566.39M11.1290
GBDC
Golub Capital BDC
3.6071 of 5 stars
$12.97
+0.3%
$14.00
+8.0%
-14.8%$3.38B$870.78M16.84N/A
FSK
FS KKR Capital
1.4245 of 5 stars
$10.78
-0.3%
$10.58
-1.8%
-50.6%$3.02B$1.52BN/AN/A
HTGC
Hercules Capital
3.4589 of 5 stars
$16.04
+0.7%
$18.21
+13.6%
-15.3%$3.00B$532.49M9.06100

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This page (NYSE:MSDL) was last updated on 7/15/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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