Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) Total Return Calculator with Dividends Reinvested

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund

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The total return for Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) stock is -10.72% over the past 12 months. So far it's down 3.89% this year. The 5-year total return is -0.10%, meaning $10,000 invested in MSDL stock 5 years ago would be worth $9,990 today. Total return includes price appreciation plus reinvesting any dividends paid out.

If you invested $10,000 in MSDL 1 year ago, it would be worth $8,883 today — you'd have lost $1,117 with dividends reinvested.

With Dividends Reinvested$8,883-11.17%

Price Only (No DRIP)$7,890-21.10%

Dividend Boost+$9934 payments · +9.93% extra

Period2025-06-23 → 2026-06-22

Price

Total Return (DRIP)

Dividends

S&P 500

If You Invested $10,000 in MSDL

1Y$8,928-$1,072 (-10.7%)-10.7% CAGR

3Y$9,990-$10 (-0.1%)-0.0% CAGR

5Y$9,990-$10 (-0.1%)-0.0% CAGR

10Y$9,990-$10 (-0.1%)-0.0% CAGR

15Y$9,990-$10 (-0.1%)-0.0% CAGR

20Y$9,990-$10 (-0.1%)-0.0% CAGR

30Y$9,990-$10 (-0.1%)-0.0% CAGR

Dividend Reinvestment History (4)▲ Hide

Ex-Date	Dividend	Reinvest Price	Shares Added
2025-06-30	$0.50	$18.72	+0.026709
2025-09-30	$0.50	$16.08	+0.031925
2025-12-31	$0.50	$16.48	+0.032119
2026-03-31	$0.45	$13.98	+0.035110

Loading MSDL total return...

As of 2026-06-23

Returns at a Glance

Period	Total Return	CAGR	Price Only	Div. Contrib.	$10K →
YTD	-3.89%	—	-6.62%	+2.73 pp	$9,611
1Y	-10.72%	-10.72%	-20.77%	+10.05 pp	$8,928
3Y	-0.10%	-0.03%	-25.53%	+25.44 pp	$9,990
5Y	-0.10%	-0.02%	-25.53%	+25.44 pp	$9,990
10Y	-0.10%	-0.01%	-25.53%	+25.44 pp	$9,990
15Y	-0.10%	-0.01%	-25.53%	+25.44 pp	$9,990
20Y	-0.10%	-0.00%	-25.53%	+25.44 pp	$9,990
30Y	-0.10%	-0.00%	-25.53%	+25.44 pp	$9,990

Risk & Highlights

Best Year+10.76%2024

Worst Year-11.62%2025

Max Drawdown-30.07%2025-07-22 → 2026-04-01

Annual Returns

Year	Total Return	Price Return	Div.	S&P 500	vs S&P
2026YTD	-10.09%	-10.09%	—	+0.41%	-10.5pp
2025	-11.62%	-21.19%	+9.6pp	+16.64%	-28.3pp
2024	+10.76%	+0.10%	+10.7pp	+24.00%	-13.2pp

MSDL underperformed the S&P 500 by 35.71pp over the past year (-10.72% vs +24.99%).

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MSDL Peers' Total Return

Accurate peer set · 10 comparable names

Name	Mkt Cap	30D Rtn	YTD Total Rtn	1Y Total Rtn	Div Contrib	3Y Total Rtn	5Y Total Rtn	10Y Total Rtn
MSDLMorgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund	$1.3B	+3.4%	-3.9%	-10.7%	+10.1pp	-0.1%	-0.1%	-0.1%
ARCCAres Capital Corporation	$12.8B	-3.7%	-7.1%	-7.3%	+8.9pp	+28.3%	+44.4%	+150.1%
FSCOFS Credit Opportunities Corp.	$979M	-3.3%	-17.5%	-20.8%	+10.9pp	+52.6%	+67.0%	+67.0%
OBDCBlue Owl Capital Corporation	$5.4B	-1.3%	-10.5%	-15.2%	+10.3pp	+14.5%	+29.2%	+37.6%
GBDCGolub Capital BDC, Inc.	$3.2B	-4.3%	-4.1%	-6.3%	+9.8pp	+29.3%	+30.5%	+52.8%
TPVGTriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp.	$193M	-13.5%	-17.8%	-11.7%	+14.0pp	-24.0%	-21.7%	+80.0%
CGBDCarlyle Secured Lending, Inc.	$746M	+0.3%	-9.6%	-10.0%	+11.5pp	+10.4%	+44.5%	+43.2%
FSKFS KKR Capital Corp.	$2.8B	-4.2%	-25.2%	-35.5%	+14.6pp	-2.7%	+8.4%	+13.2%
HTGCHercules Capital, Inc.	$2.8B	+0.6%	-12.9%	-3.2%	+10.8pp	+47.5%	+47.0%	+160.5%
SLRCSLR Investment Corp.	$669M	-5.6%	-14.8%	-13.9%	+9.5pp	+20.6%	+9.2%	+52.4%
PFLTPennantPark Floating Rate Capital Ltd.	$719M	-10.4%	-14.1%	-16.4%	+11.6pp	+5.8%	+7.4%	+53.3%

Compare:MSDL vs ARCC MSDL vs FSCO MSDL vs OBDC MSDL vs ARCC vs FSCO

About MSDL Dividend Returns

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) is a dividend-paying stock. When dividends are reinvested through a DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan), they purchase additional shares, which then generate their own dividends—creating a compounding effect that can significantly boost long-term returns.

How We Calculate Total Return

Our total return calculator simulates dividend reinvestment (DRIP) by assuming each dividend payment is used to purchase additional shares at the closing price on the ex-dividend date. This methodology provides an accurate representation of how a dividend reinvestment plan would perform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1What is the total return of MSDL over the past year?

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) delivered a total return of -10.72% over the past year when dividends are reinvested. The price-only return was -20.77%, meaning dividends contributed an additional 10.05 percentage points to total returns.

Q2How much would $10,000 invested in MSDL be worth today?

A $10,000 investment in Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund one year ago would be worth $8,928 today with dividends reinvested (DRIP). Without reinvesting dividends, the same investment would be worth $7,923. Dividend reinvestment added $1,005 to the portfolio value.

Q3Does MSDL pay dividends?

Yes, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) pays dividends. In the last year, MSDL paid approximately $2.11 per share in dividends (14.10% yield). Reinvesting these dividends through a DRIP can significantly boost long-term returns — over 20+ years, dividend compounding can account for 30–50% of total returns for dividend-paying stocks.

Q4Did MSDL beat the S&P 500?

No, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) underperformed the S&P 500 by 35.71 percentage points over the past year. MSDL delivered a total return of -10.72%, compared to the S&P 500's 24.99%. This means a passive S&P 500 index fund outperformed MSDL by 35.71pp during this period.

Q5What is MSDL's worst drawdown?

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) experienced a maximum drawdown of -30.07% over the past year, declining from its peak on 2025-07-22 to its trough on 2026-04-01. The stock has not yet fully recovered to its prior peak. Maximum drawdown measures the worst peak-to-trough decline and is an important risk metric for investors.

Q6What is MSDL's long-term total return over 10, 20, or 30 years?

Here are Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL)'s long-term returns with dividends reinvested. Over 10 years, the total return is -0.1% (-0.0% CAGR) — $10,000 would have grown to $9,990. Over 20 years: -0.1% total return (-0.0% CAGR) — $10,000 → $9,990. Over 30 years: -0.1% total return (-0.0% CAGR) — $10,000 → $9,990. Long-term investors benefit from compounding: dividends buy additional shares, which generate their own dividends, creating an exponential growth effect.

Q7What was MSDL's best and worst year?

Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund's best calendar year was 2024 with a total return of 10.8%. Its worst year was 2025 with a total return of -11.6%. This range shows the volatility investors should expect — the difference between the best and worst year is 22.4 percentage points.

How much would $100/month in MSDL be worth today?

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