Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Cut to “Sell” at StockNews.com

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

VTR has been the topic of several other reports. Mizuho lowered their price objective on 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 upped their price target on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $65.63.

Ventas Stock Down 0.2 %

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

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.00%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is presently -1,058.82%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,004 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.11, for a total value of $396,924.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,231,860.87. This represents a 0.60 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ORG Partners LLC bought a new position in Ventas in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at about $48,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the second quarter worth about $41,000. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas during the third quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas during the third quarter worth about $74,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

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.