Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

MSDL

Market cap $1.31B

BDCs have fallen out of favor. Given the elevated risks (at least as suggested by headlines), most durable income investors consider only top-quality BDC picks. While this coincides with my philosophy, the issue is that the return potential is automatically lower here.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund is upgraded from hold to buy due to an unusually attractive valuation despite portfolio concerns. MSDL trades at a 30% discount to NAV, offering a compelling entry point versus peers like BXSL with a smaller discount. Risks include rising underperforming assets, declining interest income, and a dividend not fully covered by net investment income.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE: MSDL) ("MSDL”), a business development company externally managed by MS Capital Partners Adviser Inc., today announced it will release its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, on Thursday, May 7, 2026, after the market closes. MSDL will host a conference call at 10:00 am ET on Friday, May 8, 2026, to review its financial results and conduct a question-and-answer session. Conference Call Information All.

In Q1, the narrative that we had at the start of the year has completely changed. The market has stopped chatting about new record highs and started to dig deep to find areas of shelter. The 11%+ yield territory is probably the last thing that would come to retirement income investors' minds when thinking about protection.

I see recent credit risk repricing as excessively aggressive and overblown, creating potential opportunity. Market reactions often swing violently when sentiment shifts, lacking balanced or rational repricing. Current drawdowns are being fueled by any available argument, logical or not, amplifying volatility.

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund and Energy Transfer both offer high yields, discounted valuations, and solid dividend coverage. MSDL trades at a 29% discount to NAV, has a 12.5% yield, and maintains a conservative, first-lien-heavy portfolio with low non-accruals. ET provides a 7.05% distribution yield, robust fee-based cash flows, and is positioned for growth from U.S. energy exports and data center demand.

Ares Capital, Capital Southwest, and Trinity Capital stand out as attractive BDCs for income-focused investors amid sector headwinds. Rising defaults, increased leverage (average 1.25x), and potential recession risks warrant caution across the BDC sector despite appealing yields. Dividend safety is not guaranteed by spillover income; recent cuts at TPVG and MSDL underscore this vulnerability.

The performance of the VanEck BDC Income Exchange Traded Fund, which includes over 30 BDCs in its market cap-weighted index, gives a good sense of how BDCs performed in these different environments. During the rate-cutting period, which initiated the pressure on BDC profits, BDCs have had to cope with the DeepSeek AI shock, peaking just ahead of that event on 19 February 2025. With AI technologies seemingly set to destroy any potential profitability these firms had, many BDCs were suddenly faced with having to write down large portions of their portfolios. But not all BDCs are in that boat.

Private credit and BDCs are under sector-specific pressure, not part of a broader fixed income risk-off trade. Recent negative sentiment is driven by liquidity events, failed mergers, and redemption pressures in major private credit funds. Unlisted BDCs like Blue Owl, Blackstone, and Blackrock have faced elevated redemption requests, exceeding or gating withdrawal limits.

In my view, BDC sell-off is overdone. Given that the sector has been so punished, there are many opportunities to lock in attractive double digiti yields. Some particular names have become so discounted that their yields are approaching 20% territory. For many high-yield investors this might seem the right zone to play.