Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Rating Increased to Outperform at Robert W. Baird

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report published on Friday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have $65.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust's stock, down from their previous price objective of $66.00.

Several other research firms have also commented on VTR. Mizuho reduced their price target on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Wedbush restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ventas from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ventas has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $67.13.

Ventas Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE VTR traded up $0.49 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $58.85. 2,972,933 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,553,749. The company has a market cap of $24.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -346.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.37. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $60.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Ventas has a one year low of $41.45 and a one year high of $67.61.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.06%. Ventas's payout ratio is currently -1,058.76%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,004 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.11, for a total value of $396,924.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at $65,231,860.87. This trade represents a 0.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Ventas

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in Ventas by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 8,120 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $521,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ventas by 3.3% during the second quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 6,270 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $321,000 after buying an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank raised its position in shares of Ventas by 6.4% in the fourth quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 3,308 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $195,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ventas by 3.7% in the third quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 5,639 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $362,000 after buying an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in 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.