BDF Gestion Decreases Stake in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

BDF Gestion lessened its position in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 11.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 64,167 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 8,333 shares during the quarter. BDF Gestion’s holdings in Ventas were worth $3,779,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Forsta AP Fonden increased its position in shares of Ventas by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 78,700 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $4,635,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in Ventas by 109.5% during the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 187,412 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $11,037,000 after buying an additional 97,940 shares during the last quarter. Vert Asset Management LLC raised its position in Ventas by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Vert Asset Management LLC now owns 181,249 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $10,674,000 after acquiring an additional 15,635 shares during the period. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ventas by 7.9% during the 4th quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,136 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $244,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Ventas by 42.2% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 42,998 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $2,532,000 after acquiring an additional 12,767 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Stock Performance

NYSE:VTR opened at $59.68 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Ventas, Inc. has a 12-month low of $41.45 and a 12-month high of $67.61. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $60.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $60.92.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is currently -1,058.76%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VTR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Ventas from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Baird R W upgraded Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Scotiabank upped their price target on Ventas from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ventas currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $67.63.

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.