MORGUARD LINCLUDEN GLOBAL INVESTMENTS Ltd Sells 4,806 Shares of Welltower Inc. $WELL

Key Points

• MORGUARD LINCLUDEN GLOBAL INVESTMENTS Ltd. cut its Welltower stake by 26.7%, selling 4,806 shares and retaining 13,164 shares valued at approximately $3.03 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.8% of Welltower.
• Welltower reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.67 versus the $1.64 consensus and revenue of $3.72 billion, up 38.4% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share ($3.40 annualized; 1.5% yield), while analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $258.57.

MORGUARD LINCLUDEN GLOBAL INVESTMENTS Ltd reduced its position in shares of Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL - Free Report) by 26.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,164 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 4,806 shares during the period. MORGUARD LINCLUDEN GLOBAL INVESTMENTS Ltd's holdings in Welltower were worth $3,031,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in Welltower by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 78,049,214 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $17,714,830,000 after purchasing an additional 4,045,458 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Welltower by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 42,138,810 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $9,564,246,000 after buying an additional 578,033 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Welltower in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,425,089,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Welltower by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 9,814,621 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $2,227,642,000 after buying an additional 207,966 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Welltower by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 8,345,022 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,649,844,000 after buying an additional 57,938 shares during the last quarter. 94.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Welltower Price Performance

WELL stock opened at $226.99 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 3.16 and a quick ratio of 3.16. Welltower Inc. has a 1 year low of $174.91 and a 1 year high of $255.20. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $233.63 and a 200 day moving average of $217.77. The company has a market cap of $163.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 98.26, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.75.

Welltower (NYSE:WELL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.03. Welltower had a return on equity of 3.56% and a net margin of 12.15%. The business had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.34 EPS. The business's revenue was up 38.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Welltower Inc. will post 6.43 EPS for the current year.

Welltower Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 10th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 10th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Welltower's payout ratio is currently 147.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Freedom Broker raised Welltower from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $255.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $269.00 target price on shares of Welltower in a report on Tuesday. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Welltower from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $256.00 price target (down from $260.00) on shares of Welltower in a report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price target on shares of Welltower from $238.00 to $272.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $258.57.

Key Headlines Impacting Welltower

Here are the key news stories impacting Welltower this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Broker raised Welltower from “hold” to “buy” and set a $255 price target, implying approximately 12% upside from the referenced share price. Welltower upgraded to buy at Freedom Broker after Q3 financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Strong third-quarter fundamentals: Welltower’s funds from operations exceeded expectations, supported by senior-housing occupancy gains, higher margins, portfolio growth, and acquisitions. Normalized FFO increased 24.6% year over year, while same-store NOI rose 15.8% and same-store senior-housing operating revenue increased 9.1%. WELL's Q3 FFO Beat Estimates on Strong SHO Portfolio Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Raised outlook and dividend: Management increased its full-year earnings outlook, reinforcing expectations for continued senior-housing demand. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, or $3.40 annualized, payable November 19 to eligible shareholders.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction remains cautious: Although FFO and revenue were generally strong, some coverage characterized the quarter as a revenue miss or weaker-than-expected earnings, suggesting investors are focusing on the quality and sustainability of growth rather than headline results. Welltower Q3 Earnings Lift FFO Outlook As Stock Slips
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and rates: Welltower trades at a high valuation, with a reported price-to-earnings ratio near 98, leaving the stock vulnerable to profit-taking and higher interest rates. Investors are also monitoring rising leverage and the gap between its premium valuation and near-term growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Potential dilution: Prospectus supplements covering possible issuance of additional common shares could create dilution concerns, even though the filings do not necessarily mean shares will be issued immediately.

Insider Buying and Selling at Welltower

In other news, Director Andrew Gundlach purchased 5,000 shares of Welltower stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $242.06 per share, with a total value of $1,210,300.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 30,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,261,800. This trade represents a 20.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Purchased indirectly through two trusts. The transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $241.59 to $242.59. The reported $242.06 price is the weighted-average purchase price. 0.37% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Welltower Company Profile

Welltower Inc NYSE: WELL is a healthcare-focused real estate investment trust that owns, develops, and manages properties used to provide healthcare and related services. Its portfolio is centered on senior housing communities, outpatient medical facilities, and post-acute care properties, including assets operated by healthcare providers and senior living companies.

The company's senior housing investments support independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. Its outpatient medical properties accommodate physicians, clinics, and other healthcare providers, while its broader healthcare real estate portfolio is designed to serve demand for care delivered outside traditional hospitals.

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