Analyzing Ventas (NYSE:VTR) and AMEN Properties (OTCMKTS:AMEN)

AMEN Properties (OTCMKTS:AMEN) and Ventas (NYSE:VTR) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, earnings, risk, institutional ownership, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares AMEN Properties and Ventas’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
AMEN Properties	55.79%	40.62%	33.57%
Ventas	-1.58%	-0.75%	-0.29%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

94.2% of Ventas shares are held by institutional investors. 30.3% of AMEN Properties shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Ventas shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares AMEN Properties and Ventas’ revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
AMEN Properties	$3.68 million	6.39	$2.05 million	N/A	N/A
Ventas	$4.62 billion	4.49	-$40.97 million	($0.19)	-269.79

AMEN Properties has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Ventas.

Dividends

AMEN Properties pays an annual dividend of $40.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 8.5%. Ventas pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.5%. Ventas pays out -947.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for AMEN Properties and Ventas, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
AMEN Properties	0	0	0	0	N/A
Ventas	0	4	9	0	2.69

Ventas has a consensus price target of $51.46, indicating a potential upside of 0.39%. Given Ventas’ higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Ventas is more favorable than AMEN Properties.

Volatility & Risk

AMEN Properties has a beta of 0.76, indicating that its stock price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ventas has a beta of 1.33, indicating that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

AMEN Properties beats Ventas on 7 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About AMEN Properties

AMEN Properties, Inc. owns oil and gas royalty and working interests in various oil and gas properties in the United States. It holds interests in oil gas and gas royalties through its ownership of SFF Royalty, LLC; and 100% interests in SFF Production, LLC. The company was formerly known as Crosswalk.com, Inc. and changed its name to AMEN Properties, Inc. in October 2002. AMEN Properties, Inc. was incorporated in 1993 and is based in Richardson, Texas.

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. Ventas leverages its unmatched operational expertise, data-driven insights from its Ventas Operational InsightsTM platform, extensive relationships and strong financial position to achieve its goal of delivering outsized performance across approximately 1,400 properties. The Ventas portfolio is composed of senior housing communities, outpatient medical buildings, research centers and healthcare facilities in North America and the United Kingdom. The Company benefits from a seasoned team of talented professionals who share a commitment to excellence, integrity and a common purpose of helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives.