4,645,101 Shares in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Purchased by Norges Bank

Norges Bank bought a new stake in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 4,645,101 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $231,512,000. Norges Bank owned approximately 1.15% of Ventas at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC bought a new position in Ventas during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 77.9% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 151.1% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 82.7% during the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 718 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ventas Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of Ventas stock traded up $0.10 on Wednesday, reaching $48.47. 1,527,664 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,333,638. The company has a market capitalization of $19.62 billion, a P/E ratio of -255.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.25. Ventas, Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.33 and a 52 week high of $50.99. The firm's 50-day moving average is $44.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.63.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.71%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 1st. Ventas's payout ratio is -947.32%.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $103,818.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,031 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,259,900.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Ventas news, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 14,625 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total value of $697,612.50. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 12,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $597,394.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total value of $103,818.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,031 shares in the company, valued at $1,259,900.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 35,270 shares of company stock worth $1,672,966. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VTR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Ventas in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $60.00 price target for the company. Evercore ISI upgraded Ventas from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, March 18th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $46.00 price target (down from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a report on Monday, February 26th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Ventas from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ventas has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $51.23.

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.