KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Invests $9.59 Million in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 161,719 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $9,585,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new stake in Ventas during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings 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 valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Promus Capital LLC bought a new position in Ventas in the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ventas during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. Finally, SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in Ventas by 1,039.4% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 809 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ventas Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE:VTR opened at $68.18 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $64.21 and its 200 day moving average is $63.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Ventas, Inc. has a 1 year low of $41.45 and a 1 year high of $71.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 358.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.37.

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

Ventas Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.82%. This is a boost from Ventas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 1,010.53%.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other news, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 3,866 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 11,371 shares in the company, valued at $716,373. This trade represents a 25.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 214,679 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.22, for a total value of $14,645,401.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,138,143 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,644,115.46. This represents a 15.87 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 260,227 shares of company stock worth $17,769,097. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on VTR. StockNews.com raised Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Ventas from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Ventas from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Ventas from $70.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Wedbush upped their target price on Ventas from $69.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.90.

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.