Entropy Technologies LP Reduces Holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Key Points

• Entropy Technologies LP reduced its holdings in Ventas, Inc. by 57.6% during the first quarter, now owning 27,480 shares valued at approximately $1.89 million.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on Ventas, with one downgrading it to "sell" and others raising their target prices to a consensus of $72.90.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings per share of $0.87, surpassing estimates and indicating an 18.3% revenue increase compared to the previous year.

Entropy Technologies LP trimmed its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 57.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 27,480 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 37,373 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP's holdings in Ventas were worth $1,890,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ventas in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Ventas by 1,334.6% in the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 373 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares during the period. Franchise Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in Ventas in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new stake in Ventas in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in Ventas in the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on VTR shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Ventas from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.90.

Ventas Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of VTR opened at $68.55 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $31.15 billion, a PE ratio of 159.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.87. The company's fifty day moving average is $64.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.45. Ventas, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $56.68 and a fifty-two week high of $71.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.02. Ventas had a net margin of 3.61% and a return on equity of 1.75%. The firm had revenue of $1.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.80 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Ventas, Inc. will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. Ventas's dividend payout ratio is 446.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 10,322 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.40, for a total transaction of $695,702.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,145,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,219,843. This trade represents a 0.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Carey S. Roberts sold 23,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.23, for a total value of $1,509,405.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 116,650 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,492,429.50. The trade was a 16.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 378,391 shares of company stock valued at $24,809,760. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Ventas Profile

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.

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