Van ECK Associates Corp Increases Stock Holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 14.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 188,962 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 23,718 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp's holdings in Ventas were worth $12,445,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Community Trust NA purchased a new stake in Ventas during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Ventas during the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ventas during the 2nd quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 2nd quarter worth $51,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.87, for a total value of $1,177,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 156,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,207,444.61. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,827 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.20, for a total value of $431,466.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at $62,360,514.40. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.87, for a total transaction of $1,177,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 156,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,207,444.61. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 160,454 shares of company stock valued at $10,441,215 in the last quarter. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of VTR stock traded down $1.25 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $63.22. 3,068,170 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,397,692. The company has a market capitalization of $26.51 billion, a PE ratio of -371.86, a PEG ratio of 2.86 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 $63.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $55.86. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st were given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 1st. Ventas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1,058.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Ventas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Ventas to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Ventas from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Wedbush boosted their price target on Ventas from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $63.63.

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.