Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $1.21 Billion Stock Holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 2.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,875,005 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 396,934 shares during the period. Ventas accounts for about 0.7% of Principal Financial Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 4.57% of Ventas worth $1,210,448,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the second quarter valued at approximately $135,425,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new stake in Ventas during the 2nd quarter worth $73,517,000. Centersquare Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ventas by 11.5% in the first quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC now owns 7,806,396 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $345,667,000 after purchasing an additional 802,546 shares during the last quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI increased its position in shares of Ventas by 217.4% in the 2nd quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 856,525 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $43,905,000 after purchasing an additional 586,676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Ventas by 1,247.7% during the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 496,531 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $25,452,000 after acquiring an additional 459,689 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.18% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Ventas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Scotiabank upped their target price on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ventas from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Ventas to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $63.63.

Ventas Stock Up 2.2 %

VTR traded up $1.41 during trading on Thursday, reaching $64.63. The company had a trading volume of 1,052,419 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,391,464. Ventas, Inc. has a 12 month low of $41.45 and a 12 month high of $67.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The business's fifty day moving average price is $63.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $55.86. The company has a market cap of $27.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -371.86, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.36.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.79%. Ventas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -1,058.76%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ventas

In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at $65,291,063.89. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Peter J. Bulgarelli sold 6,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.99, for a total transaction of $389,940.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 90,795 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,900,767.05. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 140,454 shares of company stock worth $9,263,815 over the last ninety days. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.