Swedbank AB Sells 17,814 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Swedbank AB lowered its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 3.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 436,786 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 17,814 shares during the period. Swedbank AB’s holdings in Ventas were worth $25,722,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ventas during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ventas by 66.2% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 527 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Ventas during the third quarter worth $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new position in Ventas during the third quarter worth $64,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new position in Ventas during the fourth quarter worth $67,000. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of Ventas stock opened at $60.09 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $60.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.91. Ventas, Inc. has a 12-month low of $41.45 and a 12-month high of $67.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market cap of $25.21 billion, a PE ratio of -353.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.37.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.00%. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is -1,058.76%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on VTR shares. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Ventas from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Ventas from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Baird R W upgraded shares of Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ventas presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $68.71.

About Ventas

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.