Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Raised to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas (NYSE:VTR) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ventas from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Evercore ISI raised shares of Ventas from an in-line rating to an outperform rating and set a $50.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, March 18th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Ventas from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $51.46.

Ventas Price Performance

NYSE:VTR opened at $52.46 on Wednesday. Ventas has a 12 month low of $39.33 and a 12 month high of $53.16. The company has a market capitalization of $21.23 billion, a P/E ratio of -276.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.33. The business’s 50-day moving average is $49.65 and its 200 day moving average is $46.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 1st. Ventas’s payout ratio is currently -947.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $103,818.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 26,031 shares in the company, valued at $1,259,900.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 18,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.11, for a total transaction of $871,535.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 176,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,310,345.33. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $103,818.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,031 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,259,900.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 35,270 shares of company stock valued at $1,672,966 over the last quarter. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Ventas by 13.1% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 27,581 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,414,000 after purchasing an additional 3,198 shares in the last quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ventas by 0.9% in the second quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 98,866 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $5,068,000 after purchasing an additional 929 shares during the last quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN grew its holdings in Ventas by 16.5% in the second quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 190,521 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $9,766,000 after purchasing an additional 26,987 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ventas in the second quarter valued at $5,496,000. Finally, BDF Gestion acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,716,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.