Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Given New $72.00 Price Target at Scotiabank

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at Scotiabank from $71.00 to $72.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "sector perform" rating on the real estate investment trust's stock. Scotiabank's target price suggests a potential upside of 13.27% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Argus set a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Ventas from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ventas from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $70.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Ventas from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Ventas from $72.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $72.90.

Ventas Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of VTR traded up $1.12 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $63.57. 234,658 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,837,376. Ventas has a 12 month low of $49.48 and a 12 month high of $71.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The company's fifty day moving average price is $65.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.89. The company has a market capitalization of $28.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 192.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.89.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.32 billion. Ventas had a return on equity of 1.36% and a net margin of 2.80%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.78 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Ventas will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 44,551 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.06, for a total transaction of $3,165,794.06. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,145,695 shares of the company's stock, valued at $81,413,086.70. This represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 69,592 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.59, for a total value of $4,494,947.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 168,364 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,874,630.76. The trade was a 29.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 165,586 shares of company stock valued at $10,997,929 in the last quarter. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Ventas by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 122,962 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $8,455,000 after purchasing an additional 3,746 shares in the last quarter. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. purchased a new position in shares of Ventas during the 1st quarter worth $1,169,000. Militia Capital Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of Ventas by 255.6% in the first quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP now owns 6,400 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $440,000 after purchasing an additional 4,600 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC increased its position in Ventas by 6.7% during the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 43,936 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $3,021,000 after purchasing an additional 2,760 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Ventas during the first quarter worth about $41,664,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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