Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Upgraded by Robert W. Baird to “Outperform” Rating

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Ventas (NYSE:VTR) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note released on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has $65.00 price target on the real estate investment trust’s stock, down from their prior price target of $66.00.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. StockNews.com raised shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $67.13.

Ventas Stock Performance

Shares of VTR stock opened at $58.85 on Friday. Ventas has a 52-week low of $41.45 and a 52-week high of $67.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock has a market cap of $24.69 billion, a PE ratio of -346.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.37. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.36.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total value of $8,022,980.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. This represents a 10.94 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VTR. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in Ventas during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 66.2% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 527 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at approximately $74,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.