Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Scotiabank Analyst Says

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) had its price target boosted by equities research analysts at Scotiabank from $69.00 to $72.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “sector perform” rating on the real estate investment trust’s stock. Scotiabank’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 4.08% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on VTR. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Ventas from $70.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird raised 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 report on Friday, January 17th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Wedbush raised their price target on Ventas from $69.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $71.14.

Ventas Stock Performance

Shares of VTR traded up $0.52 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $69.18. 5,104,010 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,721,175. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $60.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.17. 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 has a twelve month low of $41.45 and a twelve month high of $69.25. The company has a market capitalization of $30.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 364.12, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.37.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.02) by $0.83. Ventas had a return on equity of 0.82% and a net margin of 1.65%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Ventas will post 3.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ventas

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 214,679 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.22, for a total transaction of $14,645,401.38. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,138,143 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $77,644,115.46. The trade was a 15.87 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 3,866 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.00, for a total value of $243,558.00. Following the sale, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Ventas by 66.2% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 527 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Promus Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of 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 worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

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.