Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. Reduces Stock Holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. decreased its position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 4.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,817,458 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 94,322 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. owned approximately 0.45% of Ventas worth $90,582,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Ventas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in Ventas by 151.1% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 796 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 479 shares during the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC boosted its stake in Ventas by 82.7% in the 4th quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 718 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in shares of Ventas in the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ventas by 421.7% in the third quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 986 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 797 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Bank of America raised shares of Ventas from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $48.00 to $53.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $46.00 target price (down from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a report on Monday, February 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Ventas in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. They set a "buy" rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI raised Ventas from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, March 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $51.54.

Ventas Price Performance

VTR traded up $0.41 during trading on Thursday, reaching $42.64. The stock had a trading volume of 1,857,120 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,416,551. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $43.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.95. Ventas, Inc. has a 1-year low of $39.33 and a 1-year high of $50.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -387.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.26.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.22%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. Ventas's payout ratio is -1,636.21%.

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.