Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Raised to Outperform at Robert W. Baird

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) was upgraded by analysts at Robert W. Baird from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $65.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $66.00. Robert W. Baird’s price target indicates a potential upside of 11.31% from the company’s current price.

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

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VTR opened at $58.40 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -343.50, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.37. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $61.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.37. Ventas has a 12 month low of $41.45 and a 12 month high of $67.61.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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. The trade was a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VTR. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in Ventas by 109.5% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 7,678 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $394,000 after acquiring an additional 4,013 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ventas by 8.4% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 405,985 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $20,811,000 after purchasing an additional 31,616 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ventas in the second quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its stake in Ventas by 63.1% during the 2nd quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 15,940 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $817,000 after buying an additional 6,164 shares during the period. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in Ventas by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 17,012 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $872,000 after buying an additional 520 shares in the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.