Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Reaches New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Ventas, Inc. reached a new 52-week high at $71.43 during trading, with an average price target set at $75.23 according to analysts.
• Analysts have varied ratings on Ventas, with six buying recommendations and one strong buy, while Evercore ISI increased its price target to $80.00.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.48 per share, representing an annualized yield of 2.7%, but has a high dividend payout ratio of 446.51%.

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $71.43 and last traded at $71.38, with a volume of 543582 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $70.62.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Ventas in a report on Friday, September 19th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Ventas from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, September 15th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Ventas from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 15th. Argus reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Ventas from $72.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $75.23.

Ventas Stock Up 1.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market cap of $32.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 166.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.89. The stock's 50 day moving average is $68.42 and its 200 day moving average is $66.37.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.37 billion. Ventas had a net margin of 3.61% and a return on equity of 1.75%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.80 earnings per share. Ventas has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.410-3.46 EPS. Analysts forecast that Ventas, Inc. will post 3.4 EPS for the current year.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th were paid a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Ventas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 446.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ventas

In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 10,322 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.24, for a total transaction of $725,017.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,145,695 shares of the company's stock, valued at $80,473,616.80. This trade represents a 0.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 29,691 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.49, for a total transaction of $2,033,536.59. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 168,364 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,531,250.36. This trade represents a 14.99% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 69,557 shares of company stock valued at $4,771,687 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ventas by 1,334.6% in the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 373 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Rossby Financial LCC acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ventas by 52.7% in the 2nd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 536 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.18% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.