Debra A. Cafaro Sells 388 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Stock

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 388 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.00, for a total value of $27,548.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,128,143 shares in the company, valued at approximately $80,098,153. This represents a 0.03 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Ventas Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of VTR traded down $0.42 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $69.95. The company had a trading volume of 3,463,338 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,369,676. The stock has a market cap of $30.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 368.15, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.37. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $61.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. Ventas, Inc. has a 52 week low of $41.45 and a 52 week high of $71.00.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.02) by $0.83. Ventas had a return on equity of 0.82% and a net margin of 1.65%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ventas, Inc. will post 3.4 EPS for the current year.

Ventas Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.75%. This is a boost from Ventas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is presently 1,010.53%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on VTR. Robert W. Baird raised Ventas from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Wedbush boosted their target price on shares of Ventas from $69.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Ventas from $70.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $71.14.

Institutional Trading of Ventas

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Comprehensive Money Management Services LLC acquired a new stake in Ventas in the fourth quarter worth $253,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new position in shares of Ventas during the fourth quarter worth about $46,369,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas increased its holdings in shares of Ventas by 21.4% in the 4th quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas now owns 257,899 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $15,188,000 after acquiring an additional 45,500 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Ventas in the 4th quarter valued at about $313,000. Finally, Integrated Advisors Network LLC lifted its position in Ventas by 8.3% in the 4th quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 5,536 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 426 shares during the last quarter. 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.