Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Shares Sold by Heitman Real Estate Securities LLC

Heitman Real Estate Securities LLC decreased its position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 29.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 922,111 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 378,561 shares during the quarter. Ventas comprises about 2.5% of Heitman Real Estate Securities LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Heitman Real Estate Securities LLC owned 0.23% of Ventas worth $45,958,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTR. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Ventas in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $231,512,000. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in Ventas by 315.0% in the 3rd quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 3,218,555 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $135,598,000 after acquiring an additional 2,443,076 shares during the last quarter. Resolution Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Ventas during the 3rd quarter worth $77,297,000. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 7.1% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 22,246,452 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $937,243,000 after purchasing an additional 1,483,908 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rush Island Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at $56,815,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ventas Price Performance

VTR opened at $49.52 on Thursday. Ventas, Inc. has a 52-week low of $39.33 and a 52-week high of $50.99. The company has a 50 day moving average of $46.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $46.18. The company has a market cap of $20.04 billion, a P/E ratio of -260.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 18th. Investors of record on Monday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 1st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.63%. Ventas’s payout ratio is -947.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VTR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI upgraded Ventas from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 18th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ventas from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Ventas from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.46.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ventas news, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 14,625 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total transaction of $697,612.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 12,524 shares in the company, valued at $597,394.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $103,818.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 26,031 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,259,900.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 14,625 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total transaction of $697,612.50. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 12,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $597,394.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 35,270 shares of company stock valued at $1,672,966. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Ventas 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.