Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Lowers Holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio trimmed its position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 2.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 727,504 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 17,718 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Ventas were worth $31,676,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VTR. Manchester Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ventas by 77.9% in the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the period. First Financial Corp IN acquired a new stake in Ventas in the first quarter valued at $30,000. Gradient Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Ventas by 82.7% in the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 718 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Ventas in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Ventas in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ventas Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:VTR traded up $0.34 during trading on Monday, reaching $54.09. 629,599 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,253,376. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.63. Ventas, Inc. has a 12-month low of $39.33 and a 12-month high of $54.51. The firm has a market cap of $21.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -282.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.33. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $50.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.94.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Investors of record on Monday, July 1st were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 1st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -947.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Ventas from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. StockNews.com raised shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Ventas from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $51.92.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $103,818.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,031 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,259,900.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Ventas news, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 18,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.11, for a total value of $871,535.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 176,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,310,345.33. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total value of $103,818.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,031 shares in the company, valued at $1,259,900.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 35,270 shares of company stock valued at $1,672,966. Corporate insiders own 1.00% 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.