Teacher Retirement System of Texas Decreases Stake in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas decreased its stake in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 52.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 72,933 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after selling 81,773 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Ventas were worth $3,635,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new position in Ventas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 151.1% in the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 796 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 479 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 82.7% in the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 718 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ventas during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Ventas during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $46.00 price objective (down from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a research note on Monday, February 26th. StockNews.com lowered Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Evercore ISI upgraded Ventas from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Ventas in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. They set a "buy" rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Bank of America raised Ventas from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $48.00 to $53.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $51.25.

Ventas Stock Performance

Shares of Ventas stock traded up $0.75 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $48.71. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,959,191 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,358,978. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The business's 50-day moving average price is $43.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.45. Ventas, Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.33 and a 52 week high of $50.99. The firm has a market cap of $19.72 billion, a PE ratio of -254.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.25.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.70%. Ventas's dividend payout ratio is currently -947.32%.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In related news, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 18,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.11, for a total value of $871,535.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 176,403 shares in the company, valued at $8,310,345.33. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 14,625 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total value of $697,612.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 12,524 shares in the company, valued at $597,394.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 18,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.11, for a total value of $871,535.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 176,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,310,345.33. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 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.