Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Decreases Stock Position in Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP cut its stake in Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL - Free Report) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,475,809 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 282,630 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 1.20% of Welltower worth $942,160,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Welltower during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new position in Welltower during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Welltower in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Welltower by 165.5% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 300 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Welltower during the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. 94.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Welltower Stock Performance

NYSE:WELL traded down $3.43 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $143.84. 2,241,788 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,871,357. The company has a quick ratio of 4.22, a current ratio of 4.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $148.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $137.77. The firm has a market cap of $93.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 92.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.93. Welltower Inc. has a one year low of $90.76 and a one year high of $158.55.

Welltower (NYSE:WELL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.73. Welltower had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 3.15%. Research analysts anticipate that Welltower Inc. will post 4.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Welltower Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 25th were given a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 25th. Welltower's dividend payout ratio is currently 171.79%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on WELL shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Welltower from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $146.00 to $168.00 in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Welltower from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Welltower from $141.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Bank of America increased their target price on Welltower from $221.00 to $242.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Wedbush reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Welltower in a report on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $156.46.

Welltower Company Profile

Welltower Inc NYSE: WELL, a real estate investment trust ("REIT") and S&P 500 company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, is driving the transformation of health care infrastructure. Welltower invests with leading seniors housing operators, post-acute providers and health systems to fund the real estate infrastructure needed to scale innovative care delivery models and improve people's wellness and overall health care experience.