APG Asset Management N.V. Takes $12.82 Million Position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

APG Asset Management N.V. acquired a new position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 225,400 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $12,819,000. APG Asset Management N.V. owned about 0.05% of Ventas at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in Ventas by 66.2% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 527 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Promus Capital LLC bought a new position in Ventas in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ventas during the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Ventas by 1,039.4% during the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 809 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares during the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ventas Stock Performance

Ventas stock opened at $65.46 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The firm has a market cap of $28.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 344.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.02. Ventas, Inc. has a 1-year low of $41.45 and a 1-year high of $71.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $66.36 and a 200-day moving average of $63.44.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by $0.83. Ventas had a return on equity of 0.82% and a net margin of 1.65%. Sell-side analysts expect that Ventas, Inc. will post 3.4 EPS for the current year.

Ventas Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This is a positive change from Ventas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.93%. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is 1,010.53%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on VTR shares. Mizuho increased their price objective on Ventas from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Argus set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Baird R W upgraded shares of Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Ventas from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.90.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other news, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 3,866 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.00, for a total value of $243,558.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 11,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $716,373. This represents a 25.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 44,551 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.06, for a total value of $3,165,794.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,145,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $81,413,086.70. The trade was a 3.74 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 304,778 shares of company stock valued at $20,934,891. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

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.