MSD CEF — Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund

Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Debt Fund (MSD)

MSD is a CEF. its distribution rate is 8.42%, its trailing-12-month yield is 8.56%, its expense ratio is 1.19%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 67/100 (Generally safe). Total return is 1273.8% over the past 33.2 years, 1748.3 points behind SPY at 3022.1%.

At the current 8.42% distribution rate, a $10,000 investment would generate approximately $842 per year, or about $210.50 per quarter if the next payment matches the last regular one.

MSD performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-09-21.

Total return is 1273.8% over the past 33.2 years, 1748.3 points behind SPY at 3022.1%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 1.3%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 10.6%.

MSD key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

67 · Generally safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

5.64%

Issuer

Morgan Stanley

Asset type

CEF

Asset class

Fixed Income

Inception date

07/23/1993

Expense ratio

1.19%

Distribution rate

8.42%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

8.56%

5-year average yield

9.17

Last close

$7.13 (as of 2026-09-21)

NAV

$7.91

Premium / discount

9.86% discount

Market cap

$144,249,056

Average volume

80045.0

Last dividend

$0.15

Last ex-dividend date

06/30/2026 (as of 2026-06-30)

Last payment date

07/15/2026 (as of 2026-07-15)

Beta

0.583

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (8.42%) is the latest regular payout annualized by the fund's stated frequency, divided by the last close. Issuers often publish this as “Distribution Rate” on the fact sheet. Trailing-12-month yield (8.56%) is the sum of distributions paid in the last 12 months, split-adjusted, divided by the last close. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: Morgan Stanley or company page; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

MSD risks and drawbacks

Payments are quarterly, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 10.6%.

Who may consider MSD — and who may not

It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (MSD pays quarterly); investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

Frequently asked questions

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