Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Shares Purchased by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 11.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,252,460 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 128,945 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.30% of Ventas worth $80,070,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in Ventas by 2.1% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 8,120 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $521,000 after buying an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Ventas by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 6,270 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $321,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the period. Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Ventas by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 5,639 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $362,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Ventas by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 5,832 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $374,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. raised its holdings in Ventas by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. now owns 5,434 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $349,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the period. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VTR traded up $0.74 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $60.22. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,807,159 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,421,139. The company has a market cap of $25.26 billion, a P/E ratio of -349.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.36. Ventas, Inc. has a 12-month low of $41.45 and a 12-month high of $67.61. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $63.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.99%. Ventas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -1,058.82%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on VTR. StockNews.com lowered Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ventas from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Wedbush reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ventas currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $65.63.

Insider Activity at Ventas

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total value of $8,022,980.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. This represents a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.00% 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.