Capital Southwest (CSWC) vs Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Capital Southwest is the larger company by market cap ($1.51 billion vs $1.14 billion), about 1.3 times the size. On valuation, Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund trades at a lower forward P/E (7.5x vs 10.2x for Capital Southwest). Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund offers the higher dividend yield (14.00% vs 9.78%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | CSWC | MSDL |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $23.74 | $13.57 |
| Market cap | $1.51B | $1.14B |
| 1-day change | +1.06% | +1.80% |
| YTD return | +7.18% | — |
| 1-year return | +14.96% | — |
| 5-year return | -13.45% | — |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 13.12 | 19.39 |
| Forward P/E | 10.17 | 7.53 |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.81 | $0.70 |
| Dividend yield | 9.78% | 14.00% |
| Annual dividend | $2.32 | $1.90 |
| 52-week high | $25.75 | $17.91 |
| 52-week low | $19.37 | $13.23 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -7.81% | -24.23% |
| Analyst consensus | none | none |
| Avg. price target upside | +6.57% | +15.03% |
| Average volume | 627.57K | 455.05K |
| Shares outstanding | 63.73M | 84.11M |
| Employees | 36 | — |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Asset Management | Asset Management |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund trades at a higher earnings multiple (19.4x vs 13.1x trailing P/E).
- Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (14.00% vs 9.78%).
About Capital Southwest
CSWC stock →Capital Southwest Corporation is a business development company. The firm specializes in credit and private equity and venture capital investments in lower middle market companies, mezzanine, later stage, mature, late venture, emerging growth, buyouts, industry consolidation, recapitalizations and growth capital investments.
Financial Services · Asset Management · 36 employees
About Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund
MSDL stock →Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund is a business development company. It is a Private Debt fund.
Financial Services · Asset Management
CSWC vs MSDL FAQ
Which is bigger, Capital Southwest or Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund?
Capital Southwest (CSWC) is larger, with a market capitalization of $1.51B compared with $1.14B for Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL).
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CSWC or MSDL?
CSWC has the lower trailing P/E at 13.1, versus 19.4 for MSDL. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Capital Southwest or Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund?
Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund has the higher yield at 14.00%, compared with 9.78% for Capital Southwest.
Are Capital Southwest and Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Asset Management industry within the Financial Services sector.