Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume Following Analyst Upgrade

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday after Robert W. Baird raised their price target on the stock from $65.00 to $66.00. Robert W. Baird currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Approximately 1,439,277 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 41% from the previous session's volume of 2,421,865 shares.The stock last traded at $58.43 and had previously closed at $57.73.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on VTR. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Wedbush restated an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Ventas in a research report on Thursday. 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 research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $65.67.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. This represents a 10.94 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VTR. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Ventas by 862.7% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,932,017 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $252,160,000 after buying an additional 3,523,594 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in shares of Ventas by 105.2% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,420,322 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $347,605,000 after acquiring an additional 2,778,408 shares during the period. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas during the second quarter worth about $73,517,000. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of Ventas by 4.4% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 23,364,810 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,498,385,000 after purchasing an additional 982,795 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI raised its stake in Ventas by 217.4% during the 2nd quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 856,525 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $43,905,000 after purchasing an additional 586,676 shares during the period. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ventas Trading Up 1.8 %

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 has a market capitalization of $24.65 billion, a PE ratio of -345.63, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.36. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $63.36 and a 200 day moving average of $59.27.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

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

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.