Ingalls & Snyder LLC Makes New Investment in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Ingalls & Snyder LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 4,241 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $211,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC bought a new position in Ventas during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of Ventas by 151.1% in the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 796 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 479 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Ventas by 82.7% in the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 718 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the first quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Ventas by 421.7% in the third quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 986 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 797 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on VTR. Mizuho raised their price target on Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Bank of America raised Ventas from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $48.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Ventas in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $46.00 price objective (down from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ventas currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.54.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of VTR stock opened at $42.83 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $44.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. Ventas, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $39.33 and a fifty-two week high of $50.99.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.20%. Ventas’s payout ratio is currently -1,636.21%.

Ventas 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.