American Healthcare REIT (NYSE:AHR) Reaches New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (NYSE:AHR) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $45.91 and last traded at $45.9050, with a volume of 117096 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $45.75.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AHR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of American Healthcare REIT in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. JMP Securities increased their price target on American Healthcare REIT from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of American Healthcare REIT in a research note on Friday, July 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $41.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of American Healthcare REIT from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of American Healthcare REIT from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, American Healthcare REIT presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.00.

American Healthcare REIT Stock Down 0.1%

The firm has a market capitalization of $7.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -207.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.98. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $42.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $38.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.48.

American Healthcare REIT (NYSE:AHR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $542.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $539.49 million. American Healthcare REIT had a negative net margin of 1.56% and a negative return on equity of 1.43%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. American Healthcare REIT has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.640-1.680 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that American Healthcare REIT, Inc. will post 1.41 EPS for the current year.

American Healthcare REIT Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. American Healthcare REIT’s dividend payout ratio is -454.55%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Mark E. Foster sold 3,850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.89, for a total transaction of $161,276.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 59,100 shares in the company, valued at $2,475,699. This represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Healthcare REIT

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new position in American Healthcare REIT in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in American Healthcare REIT in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Total Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Healthcare REIT in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Healthcare REIT in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of American Healthcare REIT by 265.3% in the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 841 shares during the period. 16.68% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About American Healthcare REIT

Formed by the successful merger of Griffin-American Healthcare REIT III and Griffin-American Healthcare REIT IV, as well as the acquisition of the business and operations of American Healthcare Investors, American Healthcare REIT is one of the larger healthcare-focused real estate investment trusts globally with assets totaling approximately $4.2 billion in gross investment value.