Morgan Stanley Direct Lending (MSDL) Set to Announce Earnings on Thursday

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending (NYSE:MSDL) will issue its quarterly earnings data after the market closes on Thursday, May 9th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.63 per share for the quarter.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending (NYSE:MSDL) last released its earnings results on Friday, March 1st. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.01. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending had a net margin of 62.81% and a return on equity of 13.08%. The company had revenue of $100.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $97.34 million. On average, analysts expect Morgan Stanley Direct Lending to post $2 EPS for the current fiscal year and $2 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSDL opened at $22.29 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.98 billion and a P/E ratio of 7.12. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending has a 1-year low of $19.05 and a 1-year high of $22.97. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $21.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 1.26.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a — dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 4th will be given a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 4th. This represents a dividend yield of 10.1%. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending’s payout ratio is 63.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MSDL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending from $20.50 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 target price on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending in a research report on Monday, March 4th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Morgan Stanley Direct Lending in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $23.50 price target on the stock. Raymond James started coverage on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $21.00 price objective on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.58.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending 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.