Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Short Interest Update

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 18,660,497 shares, an increase of 26.9% from the February 12th total of 14,709,627 shares. Approximately 4.0% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 3,067,621 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 3,067,621 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.1 days. Approximately 4.0% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Insider Transactions at Ventas

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 10,322 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.66, for a total value of $801,606.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,114,034 shares in the company, valued at $86,515,880.44. This trade represents a 0.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Robert F. Probst sold 29,930 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.25, for a total transaction of $2,312,092.50. Following 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 86,106 shares of company stock worth $6,931,397. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ventas

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital World Investors bought a new position in Ventas during the 4th quarter worth about $594,116,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Ventas in the 4th quarter valued at about $474,571,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ventas by 32,509.3% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 4,648,776 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $359,722,000 after purchasing an additional 4,634,520 shares in the last quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ventas by 228.1% in the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 4,606,355 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $356,440,000 after purchasing an additional 3,202,323 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ventas by 188.7% during the fourth quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 4,705,591 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $364,119,000 after purchasing an additional 3,075,450 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Trading Up 1.4%

VTR stock traded up $1.19 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $87.75. The company had a trading volume of 3,058,945 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,778,249. The company has a market capitalization of $41.68 billion, a PE ratio of 162.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.73. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $81.68 and a 200 day moving average of $76.59. Ventas has a 12 month low of $60.15 and a 12 month high of $88.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by ($0.74). Ventas had a net margin of 4.31% and a return on equity of 2.09%. The firm had revenue of ($1,229.71) million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.81 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ventas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.780-3.880 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Ventas will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ventas Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a positive change from Ventas’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 355.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VTR has been the subject of several analyst reports. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Ventas from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Argus set a $88.00 price objective on shares of Ventas in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $93.00 price objective on shares of Ventas in a research note on Monday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Ventas from $83.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $89.00.

Ventas Company Profile

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.