Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Shares Sold by Impax Asset Management Group plc

Impax Asset Management Group plc trimmed its position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 89.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,356 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 69,299 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc's holdings in Ventas were worth $416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTR. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new stake in Ventas in the first quarter worth $41,000. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 21.1% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 13,542 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $837,000 after acquiring an additional 2,356 shares during the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 90.0% in the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 20,191 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,247,000 after acquiring an additional 9,563 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas in the first quarter worth $271,000. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 6.0% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 14,712 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $924,000 after acquiring an additional 835 shares during the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VTR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Ventas in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. They set a "buy" rating and a $60.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "equal weight" rating and issued a $46.00 target price (down previously from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a report on Monday, February 26th. Mizuho increased their target price on Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised Ventas from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $51.43.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VTR traded down $0.34 during trading on Friday, hitting $42.83. 1,826,714 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,462,283. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 0.51 and a quick ratio of 0.51. Ventas, Inc. has a 52-week low of $39.33 and a 52-week high of $50.99. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $43.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.94. The company has a market cap of $17.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -389.33, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.26.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 18th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.20%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. Ventas's dividend payout ratio is currently -1,636.21%.

Ventas Company 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.