Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Lowered to "Sell" Rating by StockNews.com

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on VTR. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ventas from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Wedbush restated an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Evercore ISI increased their price target on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $65.63.

Ventas Trading Down 0.2 %

Ventas stock traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $59.91. The company had a trading volume of 2,527,753 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,407,114. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market cap of $25.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -352.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $63.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.83. Ventas has a 1 year low of $41.45 and a 1 year high of $67.61.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other Ventas 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 owns 986,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at $65,291,063.89. This represents a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ventas during the second quarter worth approximately $223,000. Diversified Trust Co purchased a new position in Ventas during the second quarter worth about $207,000. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Ventas in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Swedbank AB boosted its holdings in Ventas by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 455,327 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $23,340,000 after purchasing an additional 6,287 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Ventas by 117.0% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,905 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $149,000 after purchasing an additional 1,566 shares during the period. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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