Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Sets New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $71.12 and last traded at $69.98, with a volume of 405451 shares. The stock had previously closed at $69.39.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on VTR shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ventas from $72.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Mizuho increased their target price on Ventas from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Wedbush lifted their price target on Ventas from $69.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Baird R W upgraded Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Argus set a $75.00 target price on Ventas in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $72.90.

Ventas Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 340.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $65.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.40.

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Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by $0.83. Ventas had a net margin of 1.65% and a return on equity of 0.82%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ventas, Inc. will post 3.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ventas Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This is a boost from Ventas's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Ventas's payout ratio is 1,010.53%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 214,679 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.22, for a total value of $14,645,401.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,138,143 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,644,115.46. This trade represents a 15.87 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 3,866 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.00, for a total transaction of $243,558.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 11,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $716,373. The trade was a 25.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 304,778 shares of company stock valued at $20,934,891. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. DoubleLine ETF Adviser LP raised its position in Ventas by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. DoubleLine ETF Adviser LP now owns 29,695 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,749,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in shares of Ventas by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 34,973 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,060,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ventas by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 5,186 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $305,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Ventas by 17.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,221 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighPoint Advisor Group LLC grew its position in Ventas by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 6,644 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $396,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the period. 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.