Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Shares Purchased by Bleakley Financial Group LLC

Bleakley Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 10.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,164 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 582 shares during the period. Bleakley Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Ventas were worth $307,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Ventas in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in Ventas in the 1st quarter worth about $41,000. Gradient Investments LLC boosted its stake in Ventas by 82.7% in the 4th quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 718 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in Ventas by 151.1% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 796 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 479 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in Ventas by 421.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 986 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 797 shares during the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ventas Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:VTR opened at $42.24 on Tuesday. 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 one year low of $39.33 and a one year high of $50.99. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $43.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.99.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 18th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.26%. Ventas’s payout ratio is currently -1,636.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VTR has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Evercore ISI upgraded Ventas from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 18th. Bank of America upgraded Ventas from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $48.00 to $53.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Ventas in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ventas has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.54.

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.