Geode Capital Management LLC Increases Stake in Welltower Inc. $WELL

Key Points

• Geode Capital Management increased its Welltower stake by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, ending with 17,007,371 shares valued at about $3.16 billion. Institutional investors overall still own a dominant 94.8% of the company.
• Welltower reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.02 versus estimates of $0.68 and revenue of $3.35 billion versus $3.12 billion expected. Revenue also rose 38.3% year over year, and the company reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of 6.21 to 6.35.
• The REIT recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.74 per share, or $2.96 annualized, for a yield of 1.4%. Analyst sentiment remains mostly positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $231.

Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL - Free Report) by 4.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,007,371 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 774,692 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.48% of Welltower worth $3,155,047,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WELL. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Welltower by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,185 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $527,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Welltower by 31.7% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 14,790 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,266,000 after purchasing an additional 3,564 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Welltower by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,910 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $294,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Welltower by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 10,871 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,671,000 after acquiring an additional 735 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Welltower by 27.0% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 12,435 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,912,000 after acquiring an additional 2,641 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.80% of the company's stock.

Welltower Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:WELL opened at $214.69 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $208.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $200.47. The company has a current ratio of 4.31, a quick ratio of 4.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market capitalization of $151.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 106.28, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.83. Welltower Inc. has a 12-month low of $148.60 and a 12-month high of $221.68.

Welltower (NYSE:WELL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.12 billion. Welltower had a return on equity of 3.45% and a net margin of 11.96%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 38.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.20 EPS. Welltower has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.210-6.350 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Welltower Inc. will post 6.32 EPS for the current year.

Welltower Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th were given a dividend of $0.74 per share. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 13th. Welltower's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 146.53%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Welltower from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Welltower from $237.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Welltower from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Mizuho set a $239.00 price target on Welltower in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Welltower from $218.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $231.00.

About Welltower

Welltower Inc NYSE: WELL is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires and manages real estate serving the health care industry. The company specializes in healthcare infrastructure, owning and operating a diversified portfolio of senior housing, post-acute and long-term care communities, and outpatient medical properties. Welltower's assets are designed to support the delivery of health care services through a combination of leased properties, joint ventures, and other capital arrangements with health care operators and providers.

The company's property types include assisted living, memory care, independent living and skilled nursing facilities, as well as medical office buildings and other outpatient-care real estate such as ambulatory surgery centers and specialty clinics.

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