Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Stock Position Increased by Blue Trust Inc.

Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 28.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,404 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,277 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in Ventas were worth $667,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new position in Ventas in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the third quarter valued at $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Ventas during the third quarter valued at about $64,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new stake in Ventas in the fourth quarter worth about $67,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on VTR. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Ventas from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Baird R W raised Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Ventas from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Mizuho cut their price objective on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $68.71.

Ventas Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VTR opened at $60.09 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $60.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $60.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -353.44, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Ventas, Inc. has a 52-week low of $41.45 and a 52-week high of $67.61.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.00%. Ventas’s payout ratio is presently -1,058.76%.

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.