Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Ventas to “strong buy.” The broader analyst consensus remains “moderate buy,” with an average price target of $99.11.
• Ventas shares opened at $88.49, compared with a 12-month range of $66.54 to $101.60. The company has a market capitalization of approximately $45.39 billion.
• Ventas exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.97 earnings per share versus the $0.96 consensus estimate and $1.73 billion in revenue, up 21.7% year over year; institutional investors own 94.18% of its stock.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Ventas from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Ventas from $98.00 to $99.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Ventas from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Ventas from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on Ventas in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $94.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ventas has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $99.11.

Ventas Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VTR opened at $88.49 on Tuesday. Ventas has a 12-month low of $66.54 and a 12-month high of $101.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 163.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a current ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $92.72 and a 200 day moving average of $88.01.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.01. Ventas had a net margin of 4.08% and a return on equity of 1.99%. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.87 EPS. The company's revenue was up 21.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Ventas will post 3.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Ventas

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Ventas by 2.3% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,194 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,172,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Ventas by 12.1% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 46,628 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $4,141,000 after buying an additional 5,046 shares during the period. National Pension Service lifted its holdings in Ventas by 6.7% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 836,222 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $74,257,000 after buying an additional 52,527 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Ventas by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,429 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $482,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NorthRock Partners LLC bought a new stake in Ventas during the 2nd quarter valued at $216,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.18% of the company's stock.

About Ventas

Ventas, Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and manages a diversified portfolio of healthcare and senior living properties. Its real estate platform includes senior housing communities, medical office buildings, life science and innovation centers, and other healthcare-related facilities.

The company generally leases or operates its properties through relationships with healthcare providers, senior living operators, universities, and research institutions. Its properties support services such as independent and assisted living, skilled nursing, outpatient care, physician practices, medical research, and biotechnology development.

Ventas serves major healthcare and life science markets in the United States and Canada.

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