Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Sells 112,020 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lowered its position in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 7.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,329,154 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 112,020 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned approximately 0.32% of Ventas worth $85,239,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Centersquare Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Ventas by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC now owns 7,806,396 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $345,667,000 after purchasing an additional 802,546 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Ventas by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,931,538 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $304,047,000 after buying an additional 96,482 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Ventas by 8.1% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,489,159 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $239,000,000 after buying an additional 413,564 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new position in Ventas in the second quarter valued at approximately $135,425,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its stake in Ventas by 0.4% in the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 1,756,752 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $90,051,000 after acquiring an additional 7,585 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VTR opened at $63.50 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $64.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $56.60. The firm has a market cap of $26.63 billion, a PE ratio of -379.15, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Ventas, Inc. has a 1-year low of $41.45 and a 1-year high of $67.61.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.83%. Ventas’s payout ratio is presently -1,058.76%.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In related news, CEO Peter J. Bulgarelli sold 6,000 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.99, for a total transaction of $389,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 90,795 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,900,767.05. This trade represents a 6.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.11, for a total value of $396,924.44. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,231,860.87. This trade represents a 0.60 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 140,454 shares of company stock worth $9,263,815 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on VTR. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Ventas from $52.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Wedbush lifted their price objective on shares of Ventas from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $63.63.

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.