BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp Sells 9,554 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp cut its position in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 12.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,524 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 9,554 shares during the period. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp’s holdings in Ventas were worth $4,330,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. BDF Gestion acquired a new position in shares of Ventas in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,716,000. Friedenthal Financial increased its stake in Ventas by 1,183.7% in the third quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 12,773 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $819,000 after acquiring an additional 11,778 shares during the period. Tandem Capital Management Corp ADV lifted its stake in Ventas by 62.1% during the third quarter. Tandem Capital Management Corp ADV now owns 27,730 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,778,000 after purchasing an additional 10,620 shares during the period. Perpetual Ltd acquired a new stake in Ventas during the third quarter valued at approximately $544,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 480.0% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 35,325 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 29,235 shares during the period. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ventas Stock Down 2.9 %

Shares of VTR opened at $62.23 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $64.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $58.14. Ventas, Inc. has a 52 week low of $41.45 and a 52 week high of $67.61. 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 Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.89%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 1st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is -1,058.76%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on VTR shares. Scotiabank upped their price target on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. StockNews.com raised shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $52.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised Ventas to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $63.63.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ventas

In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,827 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.20, for a total transaction of $431,466.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,360,514.40. The trade was a 0.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Peter J. Bulgarelli sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.99, for a total transaction of $389,940.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 90,795 shares in the company, valued at $5,900,767.05. This trade represents a 6.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 140,079 shares of company stock worth $9,241,311. Insiders own 1.00% 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.