Bank of America Corp DE Has $208.47 Million Stock Position in Ventas, Inc. $VTR

Key Points

• Bank of America increased its Ventas stake by 18.1% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 2.55 million shares worth approximately $208.5 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 94.18% of VTR.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with 15 Buy ratings and four Holds. Ventas has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $97.56.
• Ventas recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.52 per share, or $2.08 annualized, representing a 2.3% yield. Insider activity was mixed, with one director selling shares and another purchasing 2,500 shares.

Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 18.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,549,214 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 390,928 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE owned 0.52% of Ventas worth $208,475,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VTR. Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the 1st quarter worth about $209,000. Bull Harbor Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas during the 1st quarter worth approximately $942,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of Ventas by 1,614.9% in the 1st quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,269 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 1,195 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Ventas by 9.0% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 1,660,529 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $135,798,000 after acquiring an additional 137,657 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Ventas by 48.6% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,471 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,265,000 after acquiring an additional 5,062 shares during the period. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Ventas from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on shares of Ventas from $95.00 to $88.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Ventas in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. UBS Group raised their target price on Ventas from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their target price on Ventas from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $97.56.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 1,152 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.20, for a total value of $103,910.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 28,349 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,557,079.80. This represents a 3.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Michael J. Embler bought 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $78.81 per share, for a total transaction of $197,025.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 19,202 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,513,309.62. This represents a 14.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Ventas Stock Performance

VTR opened at $91.07 on Wednesday. Ventas, Inc. has a 1-year low of $66.38 and a 1-year high of $101.60. The company has a market cap of $46.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 168.64, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.69. The company's fifty day moving average price is $89.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $85.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. Ventas's dividend payout ratio is currently 385.19%.

Ventas 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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