Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Price Target Raised to $66.00

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Robert W. Baird from $65.00 to $66.00 in a research report report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the real estate investment trust's stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on VTR. Wells Fargo & Company raised Ventas from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Wedbush reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Thursday. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $65.67.

Ventas Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of VTR stock traded up $1.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $58.76. The company's stock had a trading volume of 11,491,386 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,466,859. The company has a market cap of $24.65 billion, a PE ratio of -345.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.36. 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 company's fifty day simple moving average is $63.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.27. Ventas has a 52 week low of $41.45 and a 52 week high of $67.61.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.06%. Ventas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -1,058.82%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total transaction of $8,022,980.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. This trade represents a 10.94 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Friedenthal Financial grew its stake in Ventas by 1,183.7% in the 3rd quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 12,773 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $819,000 after buying an additional 11,778 shares in the last quarter. Tandem Capital Management Corp ADV grew its position in Ventas by 62.1% in the third quarter. Tandem Capital Management Corp ADV now owns 27,730 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,778,000 after acquiring an additional 10,620 shares in the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Ventas in the 3rd quarter worth about $544,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its holdings in shares of Ventas by 7.9% during the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 332,300 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $21,310,000 after buying an additional 24,300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, abrdn plc lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 28.7% in the 3rd quarter. abrdn plc now owns 961,359 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $61,878,000 after acquiring an additional 214,384 shares during the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.