Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on VTR. 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 report on Tuesday, October 1st. Wedbush restated an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Ventas from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price target on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Two investment 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, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $67.13.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of VTR traded up $0.49 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $58.85. The stock had a trading volume of 2,012,734 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,440,917. The company has a market capitalization of $24.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -346.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Ventas has a 12-month low of $41.45 and a 12-month high of $67.61. The company's 50-day moving average is $60.88 and its 200 day moving average is $60.36.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total value of $8,022,980.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTR. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in Ventas in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 66.2% in the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Ventas during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in Ventas during the third quarter valued at $64,000. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ventas in the third quarter worth $74,000. 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.