Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Rating Lowered to Sell at StockNews.com

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report released on Friday.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Mizuho reduced their price target on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Ventas from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Scotiabank upped their target price on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ventas has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $65.63.

Ventas Price Performance

Ventas stock traded down $0.13 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $59.91. 2,527,753 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,407,114. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $63.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.83. Ventas has a 1 year low of $41.45 and a 1 year high of $67.61. The company has a market capitalization of $25.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -352.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Insider Activity at Ventas

In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 6,004 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.11, for a total value of $396,924.44. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,231,860.87. This trade represents a 0.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ventas during the 2nd quarter worth $41,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the third quarter worth $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the third quarter valued at $64,000. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the third quarter valued at $74,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

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.