Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE:BKD) Stock Price Up 5.4% – Should You Buy?

Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD)’s share price rose 5.4% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $4.74 and last traded at $4.76. Approximately 3,765,248 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 74% from the average daily volume of 2,166,127 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.51.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on BKD shares. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $8.00 price objective on shares of Brookdale Senior Living in a report on Friday, December 20th. Macquarie restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $8.00 price objective on shares of Brookdale Senior Living in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Brookdale Senior Living in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $8.00 price objective on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Brookdale Senior Living presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $7.50.

Brookdale Senior Living Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.46. The company has a market cap of $951.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.19 and a beta of 1.29. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $5.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.97.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Lee S. Wielansky sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.62, for a total transaction of $56,200.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 211,382 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,187,966.84. This represents a 4.52 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Brookdale Senior Living

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BKD. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in Brookdale Senior Living in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $165,000. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Brookdale Senior Living by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 217,422 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 78,714 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in Brookdale Senior Living by 87.4% in the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 112,746 shares of the company’s stock worth $567,000 after acquiring an additional 52,587 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp purchased a new position in Brookdale Senior Living in the fourth quarter worth $90,000. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its position in Brookdale Senior Living by 40.8% in the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 1,640,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,254,000 after acquiring an additional 475,268 shares in the last quarter.

About Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living Inc owns, manages, and operates senior living communities in the United States. It operates in three segments: Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The Independent Living segment owns or leases communities comprising independent and assisted living units in a single community that are primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors.