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Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) Sharpe Ratio: -0.41

Equity · Currency in USD · Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund is a business development company that primarily invests in riskier bonds issued by middle-market companies or private equity firms seeking to finance their acquisitions.

MSDL's Sharpe Ratio of -0.41 indicates that for each unit of volatility, it generates -0.41 units of excess return above the risk-free rate. The ratio is calculated using historical daily returns over the past 12 months (as of Jul 17, 2026).

Sharpe uses total volatility (standard deviation) which includes both upside and downside price movements, making it useful for comparing risk-adjusted returns across different assets. For how to read this number and when it can mislead, see Sharpe Ratio Explained.

MSDL Sharpe Ratio Rank

MSDL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 26.026
Below Average

MSDL ranks above 26.0% of all investments in our database based on Sharpe Ratio over the past 12 months, indicating below-average returns relative to volatility. Securities are ranked from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

What moves the rank

  • Strong returns with low total volatility → Higher rank
  • High volatility (both upside and downside) → Lower rank
  • Consistent returns → Higher rank than volatile returns of same magnitude
  • Sharp drawdowns increase volatility → Lower rank

What you can do with this information

  • Returns may not adequately compensate for volatility taken
  • Consider smaller allocation given below-average risk-adjusted profile
  • Explore higher-ranked investments with better consistency
  • Assess whether the volatility profile aligns with your portfolio goals

MSDL Sharpe Ratio Market Positioning

The chart shows MSDL's Sharpe Ratio relative to all stocks on our platform, with color zones indicating percentile rankings. Higher ratios indicate better risk-adjusted returns.

  • Red zone (bottom 25%): -0.43 or lower
  • Yellow zone (middle 50%): -0.43 to 1.00
  • Green zone (top 25%): 1.00 or higher
  • Top 1%: 4.47+
  • Median: 0.14 — half of all investments score higher

How it compares to other similar stocks

The table compares Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's Sharpe Ratio with other stocks in the Asset Management industry across multiple time periods, showing how MSDL's risk-adjusted performance compares to industry peers.

Data shows 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods, plus each stock's all-time average, as of Jul 17, 2026.

SymbolName1Y Sharpe Ratio5Y Sharpe Ratio10Y Sharpe RatioAll Time Sharpe Ratio
MAASHighest Performances Holdings Inc4.47
STTState Street Corporation3.37
HQLTekla Life Sciences Investors3.27
RMTRoyce Micro-Cap Trust, Inc.2.83
AMGAffiliated Managers Group, Inc.2.72
AAMIAcadian Asset Management Inc2.64
HQHTekla Healthcare Investors2.46
DNPDNP Select Income Fund Inc.2.38
FUNDSprott Focus Trust, Inc.2.38
GAMGeneral American Investors Company, Inc.2.37
MSDLMorgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund-0.41

S&P 500 Index

How to choose period

Historical Sharpe Ratio

The chart shows MSDL's rolling Sharpe ratio over time compared to your chosen benchmark. Rising trends indicate improving returns relative to total volatility, while declining trends may signal deteriorating risk-adjusted performance or increased volatility. Use multiple timeframes to distinguish short-term fluctuations from long-term patterns.

Identify market cycles by observing when MSDL consistently outperforms (line above benchmark), underperforms (below benchmark), or aligns with the benchmark.

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Sharpe Ratio Calculator

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