Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Shares Bought by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 11.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,040 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 748 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Ventas were worth $448,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VTR. First Community Trust NA purchased a new position in shares of Ventas in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. ORG Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Ventas in the 3rd quarter worth $48,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ventas in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial bought a new position in shares of Ventas during the 2nd quarter worth about $51,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ventas Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of VTR stock opened at $63.55 on Monday. Ventas, Inc. has a 52-week low of $41.45 and a 52-week high of $67.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $26.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -373.80, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $64.11 and its 200-day moving average is $57.56.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st were given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.83%. Ventas’s payout ratio is -1,058.76%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VTR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wedbush increased their price target on Ventas from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Scotiabank upped their price target on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Ventas from $52.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Wolfe Research upgraded Ventas to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $71.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $63.63.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,827 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.20, for a total transaction of $431,466.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $62,360,514.40. The trade was a 0.69 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Peter J. Bulgarelli sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.99, for a total transaction of $389,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 90,795 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,900,767.05. This represents a 6.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 140,079 shares of company stock worth $9,241,311. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Ventas Profile

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.