Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.45

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, March 12th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be given a dividend of 0.45 per share by the real estate investment trust on Thursday, April 18th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.25%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th.

Ventas has decreased its dividend by an average of 5.6% annually over the last three years. Ventas has a dividend payout ratio of -272.7% meaning the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Research analysts expect Ventas to earn $3.37 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.80 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 53.4%.

Ventas Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of VTR opened at $42.35 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $44.88 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.04 billion, a P/E ratio of -384.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.26. Ventas has a 1-year low of $39.33 and a 1-year high of $50.99.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Evercore ISI upgraded Ventas from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, March 18th. Bank of America raised shares of Ventas from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $48.00 to $53.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Ventas in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.43.

Institutional Trading of Ventas

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ventas during the 4th quarter worth about $201,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp grew its stake in shares of Ventas by 94.5% in the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 3,850 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $173,000 after purchasing an additional 1,871 shares during the period. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ventas in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $165,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new position in shares of Ventas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $154,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Ventas by 41.9% in the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,223 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $137,000 after buying an additional 656 shares in the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.