Retirement Systems of Alabama Grows Holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its stake in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 1.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 329,763 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 6,213 shares during the quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned 0.08% of Ventas worth $19,420,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTR. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Ventas by 66.2% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 527 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at approximately $64,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ventas Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of VTR stock traded down $0.58 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $60.01. The company's stock had a trading volume of 946,877 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,315,558. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $59.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.32. Ventas, Inc. has a 12-month low of $41.45 and a 12-month high of $67.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.17 billion, a PE ratio of -352.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.37.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.00%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. Ventas's dividend payout ratio is presently -1,058.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on VTR. Baird R W upgraded shares of Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Ventas from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised shares of Ventas from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $68.71.

Ventas Company Profile

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.