Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Given New $66.00 Price Target at Robert W. Baird

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) had its target price upped by Robert W. Baird from $65.00 to $66.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the real estate investment trust’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. StockNews.com lowered Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research report on Thursday. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price target on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ventas presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $65.67.

Ventas Stock Up 1.8 %

Ventas stock opened at $58.76 on Friday. Ventas has a fifty-two week low of $41.45 and a fifty-two week high of $67.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $63.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.33. The stock has a market cap of $24.65 billion, a PE ratio of -345.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.36.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.06%. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1,058.82%.

Insider Activity

In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total transaction of $8,022,980.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,291,063.89. This represents a 10.94 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Ventas during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Ventas during the third quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Hanseatic Management Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Ventas in the third quarter worth $74,000. Tobam purchased a new stake in Ventas in the third quarter worth $79,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in Ventas in the third quarter valued at $80,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.