Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume After Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday after Robert W. Baird raised their price target on the stock from $65.00 to $66.00. Robert W. Baird currently has a neutral rating on the stock. 1,439,277 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 41% from the previous session’s volume of 2,421,865 shares.The stock last traded at $58.43 and had previously closed at $57.73.

VTR has been the subject of several other research reports. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Thursday. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ventas currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $65.67.

Insider Activity at Ventas

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. This trade represents a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VTR. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ventas by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 8,120 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $521,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. Profund Advisors LLC boosted its position in Ventas by 3.3% during the second quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 6,270 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $321,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Ventas by 3.7% in the third quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 5,639 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $362,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings in Ventas by 3.9% in the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 5,832 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $374,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. raised its holdings in Ventas by 4.5% in the third quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. now owns 5,434 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $349,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Trading Up 1.8 %

The firm has a market capitalization 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. 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 company’s 50-day simple moving average is $63.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.27.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.06%. Ventas’s payout ratio is -1,058.82%.

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.