Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

VTR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Ventas from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 20th. Scotiabank upped their price objective on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $67.25.

Ventas Stock Up 0.6 %

Ventas stock opened at $58.40 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $61.00 and a 200-day moving average of $60.37. 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 has a twelve month low of $41.45 and a twelve month high of $67.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.50 billion, a PE ratio of -343.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.37.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,004 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.11, for a total value of $396,924.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,231,860.87. This trade represents a 0.60 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its stake in Ventas by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 9,856 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $580,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of Ventas by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,574 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $152,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. raised its stake in Ventas by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 277,928 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $16,367,000 after acquiring an additional 1,401 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Ventas by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,812 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $342,000 after acquiring an additional 725 shares during the period. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its holdings in Ventas by 48.0% during the 4th quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,853 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $109,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares during the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.