Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Reaches New 12-Month High at $55.06

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $55.06 and last traded at $55.01, with a volume of 96831 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $54.19.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Ventas Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $22.38 billion, a P/E ratio of -289.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $51.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $47.08.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Investors of record on Monday, July 1st were given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 1st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -947.32%.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other news, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 14,625 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total transaction of $697,612.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 12,524 shares in the company, valued at $597,394.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 14,625 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total transaction of $697,612.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 12,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $597,394.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Peter J. Bulgarelli 668 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The disclosure for this trade can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 35,270 shares of company stock worth $1,672,966. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTR. Evoke Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Ventas in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,947,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Ventas by 405.5% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 171,194 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $8,532,000 after buying an additional 137,327 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 227,154 shares in the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas during the first quarter worth about $1,005,000. Finally, Nomura Holdings Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas during the fourth quarter worth about $3,560,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

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.