Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Hits New 12-Month High Following Dividend Announcement

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) shares hit a new 52-week high on Friday after the company announced a dividend. The stock traded as high as $81.98 and last traded at $82.2950, with a volume of 2289757 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $79.84.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Thursday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from Ventas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 369.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VTR. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $93.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Ventas from $80.00 to $88.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Ventas from $80.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $93.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price objective on Ventas from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ventas presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $81.63.

Ventas Stock Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $78.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $73.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The stock has a market cap of $38.68 billion, a PE ratio of 158.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.77.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.89 by ($0.74). The firm had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. Ventas had a net margin of 4.28% and a return on equity of 2.05%. Ventas’s revenue was up 21.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.81 earnings per share. Ventas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.780-3.880 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Ventas, Inc. will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Ventas

Here are the key news stories impacting Ventas this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management issued strong FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $3.78–$3.88, well above street levels, signaling confidence in underlying cash flow and future growth prospects. Ventas Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results, Provides 2026 Outlook and Increases Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved an 8.3% quarterly dividend increase to $0.52 (annualized yield ~2.6%), which supports income investor demand and signals confidence in cash flow. Ventas raises dividend by 8.3% to $0.52
• Positive Sentiment: FFO and revenue trends were solid: Q4 FFO roughly met estimates and revenue beat, with same‑store cash NOI gains in key segments (senior housing / SHOP and OM&R), supporting the cash‑flow story. Ventas Q4 FFO Meet, Revenues Beat Estimates, Same-Store Cash NOI Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts still hold constructive views on the name — consensus ratings cluster around Moderate Buy, which can support demand as guidance and dividends are digested. Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Some sell‑side caution remains: Morgan Stanley reiterated a Hold with an $80 price target, indicating mixed views on near‑term upside despite the strong guidance. Balanced Fundamentals and Moderating Returns Justify Hold Rating on Ventas
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP EPS came in weak ($0.15) and missed consensus (~$0.89), which may concern investors focused on near‑term earnings volatility despite FFO measures looking healthier. Ventas Q4 Earnings / Press Materials
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Debra Cafaro sold 10,322 shares recently; while one insider sale doesn’t change the fundamentals, it can be read as a slight near‑term negative by some investors. Debra Cafaro Sells 10,322 Shares of Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Stock

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In other news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 10,322 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.66, for a total transaction of $801,606.52. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,114,034 shares in the company, valued at $86,515,880.44. This represents a 0.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 29,930 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.25, for a total transaction of $2,312,092.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,694,026.50. The trade was a 17.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 130,459 shares of company stock worth $10,152,803. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ventas

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VTR. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Ventas by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 75,948,003 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $5,876,856,000 after acquiring an additional 2,349,176 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 1.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 29,701,300 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,078,794,000 after purchasing an additional 387,495 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 3.3% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,927,015 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,038,176,000 after purchasing an additional 928,386 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Ventas by 4.9% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,226,283 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $769,061,000 after buying an additional 574,663 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Ventas by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,601,143 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $462,002,000 after buying an additional 160,998 shares during the period. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ventas

Ventas, Inc (NYSE: VTR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in healthcare-related real estate. The company acquires, owns and manages a diversified portfolio of properties serving the healthcare continuum, including senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings, life science and research centers, and other properties leased to healthcare providers and operators. Ventas generates revenue through long-term leases, property management and selective development activities focused on meeting the real estate needs of the healthcare sector.

Ventas’ business model combines property ownership with active asset management and capital markets activity.