Kentucky Retirement Systems Sells 1,637 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Kentucky Retirement Systems decreased its holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 5.1% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 30,558 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 1,637 shares during the quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Ventas were worth $1,330,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Evoke Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ventas during the 4th quarter valued at $6,947,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Ventas by 405.5% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 171,194 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $8,532,000 after buying an additional 137,327 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ventas by 4,831.0% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 231,856 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $11,556,000 after buying an additional 227,154 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new position in shares of Ventas during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,005,000. Finally, Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ventas during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,560,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on VTR shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Scotiabank raised their price target on Ventas from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $51.92.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of VTR stock traded up $0.56 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $53.75. The stock had a trading volume of 1,370,416 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,816,651. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -282.88, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.33. Ventas, Inc. has a one year low of $39.33 and a one year high of $54.51. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $50.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.94.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 1st were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.35%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 1st. Ventas’s payout ratio is -947.32%.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $103,818.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,031 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,259,900.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total value of $103,818.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 26,031 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,259,900.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 14,625 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total transaction of $697,612.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 12,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $597,394.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 35,270 shares of company stock valued at $1,672,966 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

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.