Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Price Target Raised to $77.00

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) had its price objective lifted by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $72.00 to $77.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the real estate investment trust’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target points to a potential upside of 13.40% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on VTR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $70.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price objective on Ventas from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.13.

Ventas Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VTR traded up $0.03 during trading on Monday, reaching $67.90. 201,497 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,647,375. Ventas has a 52-week low of $41.45 and a 52-week high of $71.04. The company has a 50-day moving average of $62.15 and a 200-day moving average of $62.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 357.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by $0.83. Ventas had a return on equity of 0.82% and a net margin of 1.65%. Analysts forecast that Ventas will post 3.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 388 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.00, for a total transaction of $27,548.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,128,143 shares in the company, valued at approximately $80,098,153. This represents a 0.03 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 3,866 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.00, for a total value of $243,558.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 11,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $716,373. This trade represents a 25.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 260,227 shares of company stock valued at $17,769,097. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ventas during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Ventas by 66.2% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 527 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Promus Capital LLC bought a new position in Ventas during the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ventas during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ventas by 1,039.4% in the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 809 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

About Ventas

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.