Ventas (NYSE:VTR) CEO Sells $801,606.52 in Stock

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) CEO Debra Cafaro sold 10,322 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.66, for a total value of $801,606.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,114,034 shares in the company, valued at $86,515,880.44. This represents a 0.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Ventas Stock Up 0.4%

Ventas stock traded up $0.29 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $77.70. The company had a trading volume of 2,172,434 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,733,606. The business has a fifty day moving average of $78.17 and a 200 day moving average of $72.92. Ventas, Inc. has a 1 year low of $58.72 and a 1 year high of $81.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The stock has a market cap of $36.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 149.43, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.77.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. Ventas’s payout ratio is currently 369.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Ventas from $74.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ventas from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $93.00 price objective on shares of Ventas in a report on Monday, January 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $93.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Ventas in a research note on Friday, January 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $94.00 price objective for the company. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $81.63.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Ventas by 856.1% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 7,926 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $545,000 after purchasing an additional 7,097 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ventas by 6.8% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 8,373 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $576,000 after buying an additional 536 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 46.8% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 36,826 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,532,000 after acquiring an additional 11,739 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in shares of Ventas by 130.4% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,613 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,486,000 after buying an additional 12,233 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ventas in the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ventas Company Profile

Ventas, Inc (NYSE: VTR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in healthcare-related real estate. The company acquires, owns and manages a diversified portfolio of properties serving the healthcare continuum, including senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings, life science and research centers, and other properties leased to healthcare providers and operators. Ventas generates revenue through long-term leases, property management and selective development activities focused on meeting the real estate needs of the healthcare sector.

Ventas’ business model combines property ownership with active asset management and capital markets activity.