Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. Sells 94,322 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 4.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,817,458 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 94,322 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Ventas were worth $90,582,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VTR. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Ventas during the 4th quarter worth $185,774,000. Deutsche Bank AG increased its holdings in Ventas by 315.0% in the 3rd quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 3,218,555 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $135,598,000 after purchasing an additional 2,443,076 shares in the last quarter. Resolution Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Ventas in the 3rd quarter worth about $77,297,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Ventas by 37.5% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,602,496 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $312,100,000 after purchasing an additional 1,801,365 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC increased its holdings in Ventas by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 22,246,452 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $937,243,000 after purchasing an additional 1,483,908 shares in the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VTR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Ventas in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com cut Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $46.00 target price (down previously from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a report on Monday, February 26th. Bank of America raised Ventas from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $48.00 to $53.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised Ventas from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, March 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $51.54.

Ventas Stock Performance

NYSE VTR opened at $42.23 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $44.96. Ventas, Inc. has a one year low of $39.33 and a one year high of $50.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

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