Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ventas (NYSE:VTR) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $65.63.

Ventas Stock Performance

NYSE VTR opened at $59.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. Ventas has a 1-year low of $41.45 and a 1-year high of $67.61. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $63.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $59.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.13 billion, a PE ratio of -352.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.36.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -1,058.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ventas

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,004 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.11, for a total transaction of $396,924.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,231,860.87. This trade represents a 0.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Ventas in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Ventas during the third quarter worth approximately $48,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas in the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. bought a new position in Ventas in the third quarter worth approximately $74,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by 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.