Welltower (NYSE:WELL) Stock Moved Up to “Strong-Buy” by Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Welltower (NYSE:WELL) to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Friday,Zacks reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on WELL. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Welltower in a research note on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on shares of Welltower from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Welltower in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $226.00 price target on the stock. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Welltower from $239.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Welltower from $215.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $255.39.

Welltower Stock Performance

Shares of WELL stock opened at $231.40 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $166.78 billion, a PE ratio of 106.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.76. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $237.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $221.38. The company has a quick ratio of 3.16, a current ratio of 3.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. Welltower has a 52-week low of $163.75 and a 52-week high of $255.20.

Welltower (NYSE:WELL) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $3.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.40 billion. Welltower had a return on equity of 3.56% and a net margin of 12.15%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 39.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.28 EPS. Welltower has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.360-6.440 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Welltower will post 6.43 EPS for the current year.

Welltower Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This is a positive change from Welltower’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Welltower’s payout ratio is 155.96%.

Insider Transactions at Welltower

In related news, Director Andrew Gundlach purchased 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $242.06 per share, with a total value of $1,210,300.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 30,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,261,800. The trade was a 20.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Purchased indirectly through two trusts. The transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $241.59 to $242.59. The reported $242.06 price is the weighted-average purchase price. Corporate insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WELL. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Welltower by 0.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 8,345,022 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,649,844,000 after acquiring an additional 57,938 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank raised its holdings in Welltower by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 2,014,200 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $398,227,000 after acquiring an additional 181,400 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Welltower by 331.4% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,122,894 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $222,007,000 after acquiring an additional 862,586 shares during the last quarter. Easterly Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in Welltower by 184.9% in the 4th quarter. Easterly Investment Partners LLC now owns 92,403 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $17,151,000 after purchasing an additional 59,967 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lifted its stake in Welltower by 26.6% in the 1st quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 43,932 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $8,686,000 after purchasing an additional 9,217 shares in the last quarter. 94.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Welltower News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Welltower this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded Welltower from “Neutral” to “Overweight” and set a $260 price target, implying roughly 12% upside from the referenced price. The upgrade indicates improved confidence in the REIT’s senior-housing and healthcare real-estate outlook. JP Morgan Upgrades Welltower to Overweight from Neutral
• Positive Sentiment: The JPMorgan upgrade initially lifted investor sentiment, with coverage noting that Welltower shares rose following the change in rating. Welltower Shares Rise After JPMorgan Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Welltower’s long-term opportunity is supported by favorable demographics: approximately two million Americans are expected to turn 80 this year, while senior-housing construction remains historically low. Those conditions could support occupancy, rents and development returns over time. 4 Senior Housing REITs Betting Big on America’s Aging Population
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent reports highlighted strong second-quarter revenue growth, including a 39.1% year-over-year increase. However, the latest reported quarter also included an earnings-per-share miss, making the quality and sustainability of growth important for investors. Welltower Stock Reports 39.1 Percent Revenue Growth
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analysis argued that Welltower’s shares are priced for continued compounding even as growth may be slowing. With the stock trading at a high earnings multiple, any deceleration in operating growth or disappointment in guidance could pressure the shares. Welltower: Priced For Compounding That Is Already Slowing

About Welltower

Welltower Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, operates and finances healthcare-related real estate. The company focuses on properties that support healthcare delivery and services, including senior housing communities, outpatient medical facilities and post-acute care properties.

Welltower partners with healthcare providers, senior housing operators and other service providers to develop and manage facilities designed to serve aging populations and patients requiring ongoing or specialized care.