Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume on Analyst Upgrade

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday after StockNews.com upgraded the stock from a sell rating to a hold rating. 1,439,277 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 41% from the previous session’s volume of 2,421,865 shares.The stock last traded at $58.43 and had previously closed at $57.73.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on VTR. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. 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. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their target price on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $65.67.

Insider Activity at Ventas

In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,291,063.89. The trade was a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ventas

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the third quarter worth about $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 3rd quarter worth about $64,000. Hanseatic Management Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 3rd quarter worth about $74,000. Tobam acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 3rd quarter worth about $79,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 3rd quarter worth about $80,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Stock Up 1.8 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market cap of $24.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -345.63, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $63.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.33.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.06%. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is -1,058.82%.

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.