Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts remain broadly positive on Welltower: Seventeen brokerages assign the stock a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, with 14 buys and three holds. The average 12-month price target is $246.11.
• Institutional ownership is substantial: Institutional investors hold 94.8% of Welltower’s shares, with major recent positions or increases from Norges Bank, Bank of America, Cardano Risk Management, Legal & General, and Capital World Investors.
• Revenue growth and dividend increased, but earnings missed estimates: Second-quarter revenue rose 39.1% year over year to $3.54 billion, though EPS of $0.61 fell short of the $0.66 consensus. The quarterly dividend was raised from $0.74 to $0.85 per share, producing a 1.4% annualized yield.

Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seventeen brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $246.1111.

WELL has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Welltower from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on Welltower from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Welltower from $237.00 to $248.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Welltower from $228.00 to $237.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of Welltower in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $226.00 target price for the company.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Welltower

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Welltower in the fourth quarter worth about $5,466,264,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Welltower during the second quarter valued at approximately $4,425,089,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its stake in Welltower by 955.3% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 9,513,540 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $1,765,808,000 after acquiring an additional 8,612,016 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Welltower during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,599,351,000. Finally, Capital World Investors increased its holdings in Welltower by 153.0% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 10,744,520 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,994,290,000 after acquiring an additional 6,497,258 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.80% of the company's stock.

Welltower Stock Up 0.3%

WELL opened at $239.95 on Monday. Welltower has a twelve month low of $163.75 and a twelve month high of $255.20. The company's 50-day moving average price is $232.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $216.03. The stock has a market cap of $172.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 110.07, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 3.16, a current ratio of 3.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Welltower (NYSE:WELL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66 by ($0.05). Welltower had a return on equity of 3.56% and a net margin of 12.15%.The company had revenue of $3.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.28 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 39.1% on a year-over-year basis. Welltower has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.360-6.440 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Welltower will post 6.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Welltower Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 12th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 12th. This is an increase from Welltower's previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. Welltower's dividend payout ratio is currently 155.96%.

About Welltower

Welltower Inc NYSE: WELL is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires and manages real estate serving the health care industry. The company specializes in healthcare infrastructure, owning and operating a diversified portfolio of senior housing, post-acute and long-term care communities, and outpatient medical properties. Welltower's assets are designed to support the delivery of health care services through a combination of leased properties, joint ventures, and other capital arrangements with health care operators and providers.

The company's property types include assisted living, memory care, independent living and skilled nursing facilities, as well as medical office buildings and other outpatient-care real estate such as ambulatory surgery centers and specialty clinics.

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