Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Hold Rating

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Ventas from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Scotiabank increased their price target on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ventas from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Mizuho reduced their target price on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with 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 company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $65.67.

Ventas Trading Up 1.8 %

NYSE:VTR traded up $1.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $58.76. 11,491,386 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,466,859. 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 fifty-two week low of $41.45 and a fifty-two week high of $67.61. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $63.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.65 billion, a P/E ratio of -345.63, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.36.

Insider Activity at Ventas

In other Ventas 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. This represents a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VTR. Signaturefd LLC grew its position 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 period. 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 valued at $321,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Ventas by 3.7% during the third quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 5,639 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $362,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ventas by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 5,832 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $374,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Ventas by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. now owns 5,434 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $349,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.