West Oak Capital LLC Reduces Holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

West Oak Capital LLC cut its position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 7.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,760 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 380 shares during the quarter. West Oak Capital LLC’s holdings in Ventas were worth $234,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ventas in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in Ventas by 86.2% during the second quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 555 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in Ventas by 151.1% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 796 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 479 shares during the last quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in shares of Ventas in the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ventas by 421.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 986 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 797 shares during the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ventas Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VTR traded up $0.39 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $43.57. 508,113 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,435,788. The company has a market cap of $17.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -396.69, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.26. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $44.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.98. Ventas, Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.33 and a 52 week high of $50.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 0.51 and a quick ratio of 0.51.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.13%. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1,636.21%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VTR has been the subject of a number of research reports. 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 objective for the company. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. StockNews.com lowered Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $46.00 price target (down previously from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a report on Monday, February 26th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Ventas from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $48.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $51.43.

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.