Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.83 EPS

Key Points

• Ventas reported quarterly EPS of $0.97, exceeding analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.83. The healthcare-focused REIT posted a 2.09% return on equity and a 4.25% net margin.
• Shares fell 0.5% to $97.65 despite the earnings beat, while Ventas maintained a quarterly dividend of $0.52 per share, equivalent to a 2.1% annual yield.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive, with 15 analysts rating the stock a Buy and four issuing Holds; the stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $96.50.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The real estate investment trust reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.83, Zacks reports. Ventas had a return on equity of 2.09% and a net margin of 4.25%.

Ventas Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of VTR stock traded down $0.49 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $97.65. 4,300,077 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,668,854. Ventas has a 1 year low of $65.82 and a 1 year high of $101.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a market cap of $47.48 billion, a PE ratio of 177.55, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.70. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $88.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $85.24.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Ventas's payout ratio is presently 378.18%.

Insider Activity at Ventas

In related news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 1,152 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.20, for a total value of $103,910.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 28,349 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,557,079.80. This trade represents a 3.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Michael J. Embler bought 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $78.81 per share, with a total value of $197,025.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 19,202 shares in the company, valued at $1,513,309.62. This represents a 14.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VTR. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ventas by 856.1% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 7,926 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $545,000 after acquiring an additional 7,097 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Ventas by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 8,373 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $576,000 after purchasing an additional 536 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its stake in Ventas by 46.8% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 36,826 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,532,000 after purchasing an additional 11,739 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its holdings in shares of Ventas by 130.4% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,613 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,486,000 after purchasing an additional 12,233 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new position in shares of Ventas in the second quarter valued at about $805,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VTR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Ventas from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Ventas from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Ventas from $93.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their target price on shares of Ventas from $95.00 to $88.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ventas currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $96.50.

About Ventas

Ventas, Inc NYSE: VTR is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in healthcare-related real estate. The company acquires, owns and manages a diversified portfolio of properties serving the healthcare continuum, including senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings, life science and research centers, and other properties leased to healthcare providers and operators. Ventas generates revenue through long-term leases, property management and selective development activities focused on meeting the real estate needs of the healthcare sector.

Ventas' business model combines property ownership with active asset management and capital markets activity.

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