55,781,968 Shares in Ventas, Inc. $VTR Acquired by BlackRock Inc.

Key Points

• BlackRock acquired 55.8 million Ventas shares worth approximately $4.95 billion, giving it an 10.87% stake in the healthcare REIT. Institutional investors collectively own 94.18% of the company.
• Ventas reported quarterly EPS of $0.97, slightly above estimates, while revenue rose 21.7% year over year to $1.73 billion. Shares opened at $91.24, near their 52-week high of $101.60.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $98, supported by 15 Buy ratings and three Hold ratings.

BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 55,781,968 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $4,953,439,000. BlackRock Inc. owned about 10.87% of Ventas at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 856.1% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 7,926 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $545,000 after acquiring an additional 7,097 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Ventas by 6.8% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 8,373 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $576,000 after buying an additional 536 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in Ventas by 46.8% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 36,826 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,532,000 after acquiring an additional 11,739 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in Ventas by 130.4% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,613 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,486,000 after acquiring an additional 12,233 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas during the second quarter worth $805,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ventas Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of VTR stock opened at $91.24 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $46.80 billion, a PE ratio of 168.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.69. Ventas, Inc. has a 52-week low of $66.38 and a 52-week high of $101.60. The business's fifty day moving average is $90.86 and its 200 day moving average is $86.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.44.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group raised their price target on Ventas from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Ventas from $93.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Ventas from $98.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Barclays assumed coverage on Ventas in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $99.00 target price for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Ventas from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ventas currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $98.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ventas

In related news, Director Michael J. Embler acquired 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $78.81 per share, for a total transaction of $197,025.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,202 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,513,309.62. This trade represents a 14.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

Ventas Company Profile

Ventas, Inc NYSE: VTR is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in healthcare-related real estate. The company acquires, owns and manages a diversified portfolio of properties serving the healthcare continuum, including senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings, life science and research centers, and other properties leased to healthcare providers and operators. Ventas generates revenue through long-term leases, property management and selective development activities focused on meeting the real estate needs of the healthcare sector.

Ventas' business model combines property ownership with active asset management and capital markets activity.

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