New York State Common Retirement Fund Sells 43,835 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

New York State Common Retirement Fund decreased its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 319,568 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 43,835 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund’s holdings in Ventas were worth $15,927,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional 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 fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in Ventas by 151.1% during 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 lifted its stake in Ventas by 82.7% during 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. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV raised its stake in shares of Ventas by 73.4% in the fourth quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 1,408 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Stock Performance

VTR stock opened at $44.00 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $43.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $45.11. Ventas, Inc. has a 52-week low of $39.33 and a 52-week 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 Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 1st were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 28th. Ventas’s payout ratio is currently -1,636.21%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on VTR shares. Bank of America upgraded shares of Ventas from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $48.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Ventas from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. StockNews.com cut shares of Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Ventas in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.25.

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.