Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Sells 1,751 Shares of Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL)

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System decreased its holdings in shares of Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL - Free Report) by 5.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,015 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 1,751 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System's holdings in Welltower were worth $4,161,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Welltower during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Welltower in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Welltower during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Welltower by 165.5% during the 4th 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 period. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Welltower in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.80% of the company's stock.

Welltower Stock Up 2.5 %

Welltower stock traded up $3.64 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $150.16. The stock had a trading volume of 4,496,337 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,634,300. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $143.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $134.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 96.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.20. Welltower Inc. has a 12-month low of $87.87 and a 12-month high of $158.55. The company has a quick ratio of 4.22, a current ratio of 4.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

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

Welltower Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th were paid a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 25th. Welltower's dividend payout ratio is currently 171.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on WELL. Wedbush upgraded Welltower from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $145.00 to $167.00 in a research report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised Welltower from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Welltower from $140.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Welltower from $144.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Welltower from $221.00 to $242.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $156.46.

About Welltower

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.