Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas (NYSE:VTR) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on VTR. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Ventas from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 20th. Mizuho decreased their price target on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Ventas in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $67.13.

Ventas Trading Up 0.8 %

NYSE VTR opened at $58.85 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.69 billion, a P/E ratio of -346.15, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.37. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $60.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.36. Ventas has a 12 month low of $41.45 and a 12 month high of $67.61.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.06%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1,058.76%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ventas

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,004 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.11, for a total value of $396,924.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at $65,231,860.87. This trade represents a 0.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new stake in Ventas during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Ventas by 66.2% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 527 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Ventas during the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in Ventas during the 3rd quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. bought a new position in Ventas in the 3rd quarter worth about $74,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ventas Company Profile

Ventas Inc (NYSE: VTR) is a leading S&P 500 real estate investment trust focused on delivering strong, sustainable shareholder returns by enabling exceptional environments that benefit a large and growing aging population. The Company's growth is fueled by its senior housing communities, which provide valuable services to residents and enable them to thrive in supported environments.