American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (NYSE:AHR) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest fell 28.1% in March to 15,738,573 shares (about 8.4% of the stock), trimming the short-interest ratio to 5.7 days based on average daily volume.
• AHR missed Q4 expectations with $0.06 EPS vs. $0.46 expected and slightly lower revenue, though management set FY2026 guidance of 1.990–2.050 EPS; the company pays a $0.25 quarterly dividend (annualized yield 2.0%) with a payout ratio of 243.9%.
• Analysts are broadly positive—the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $53.67—and large institutions like Royal Bank of Canada, Norges Bank and Vanguard significantly increased their stakes.

American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (NYSE:AHR - Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 15,738,573 shares, a decline of 28.1% from the March 15th total of 21,903,839 shares. Approximately 8.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,785,145 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.7 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup restated a "market outperform" rating on shares of American Healthcare REIT in a report on Monday, March 2nd. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of American Healthcare REIT in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $55.00 price target on the stock. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of American Healthcare REIT from $55.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of American Healthcare REIT in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $60.00 price target on shares of American Healthcare REIT in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $53.67.

American Healthcare REIT Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE AHR traded up $0.71 on Wednesday, reaching $49.53. The stock had a trading volume of 2,223,318 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,433,197. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. American Healthcare REIT has a 12-month low of $29.16 and a 12-month high of $54.67. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $50.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.92.

American Healthcare REIT (NYSE:AHR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by ($0.40). The firm had revenue of $604.08 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $617.49 million. American Healthcare REIT had a net margin of 3.09% and a return on equity of 2.57%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.40 EPS. American Healthcare REIT has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.990-2.050 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that American Healthcare REIT will post 1.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Healthcare REIT Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. American Healthcare REIT's payout ratio is presently 243.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Healthcare REIT

In other news, EVP Mark E. Foster sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.55, for a total transaction of $97,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 56,121 shares in the company, valued at $2,724,674.55. The trade was a 3.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Healthcare REIT

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AHR. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in American Healthcare REIT by 2,984.1% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,161,549 shares of the company's stock valued at $289,962,000 after purchasing an additional 5,961,767 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of American Healthcare REIT during the fourth quarter worth $120,403,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its position in shares of American Healthcare REIT by 354.0% during the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,153,129 shares of the company's stock worth $101,326,000 after acquiring an additional 1,678,850 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its position in shares of American Healthcare REIT by 130.1% during the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,557,850 shares of the company's stock worth $120,372,000 after acquiring an additional 1,445,987 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of American Healthcare REIT by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,974,195 shares of the company's stock worth $1,175,286,000 after acquiring an additional 1,444,456 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.68% of the company's stock.

About American Healthcare REIT

American Healthcare REIT, Inc NYSE: AHR was a publicly traded real estate investment trust focused on acquiring, owning and managing healthcare‐related properties across the United States. The company's portfolio spanned senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings and outpatient care centers, all operated under long‐term net lease or triple‐net lease structures designed to provide stable, predictable rental income.

Employing a strategy of partnering with established healthcare operators, American Healthcare REIT targeted properties in both major metropolitan areas and high‐growth secondary markets to capitalize on demographic trends such as an aging population and increased demand for outpatient services.

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