Welltower Inc. $WELL Stake Increased by Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its stake in shares of Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 295,818 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 12,520 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd’s holdings in Welltower were worth $68,109,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Welltower in the 2nd quarter worth about $4,425,089,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Welltower in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,599,351,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Welltower by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 78,049,214 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $17,714,830,000 after buying an additional 4,045,458 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in Welltower in the 2nd quarter valued at about $528,400,000. Finally, Amundi grew its stake in Welltower by 60.3% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 5,339,664 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,211,944,000 after acquiring an additional 2,008,543 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.80% of the company’s stock.

Welltower Price Performance

NYSE WELL opened at $233.58 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 3.16 and a quick ratio of 3.16. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $233.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $224.53. Welltower Inc. has a 1 year low of $173.13 and a 1 year high of $255.20. The company has a market cap of $168.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 107.15, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.75.

Welltower (NYSE:WELL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by ($0.05). Welltower had a return on equity of 3.56% and a net margin of 12.15%. The business had revenue of $3.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.28 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 39.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Welltower has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.360-6.440 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Welltower Inc. will post 6.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Welltower Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This is a boost from Welltower’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Welltower’s payout ratio is 155.96%.

Insider Activity at Welltower

In other Welltower news, Director Andrew Gundlach acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $242.06 per share, with a total value of $1,210,300.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 30,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,261,800. This trade represents a 20.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Purchased indirectly through two trusts. The transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $241.59 to $242.59. The reported $242.06 price is the weighted-average purchase price. 0.37% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on WELL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Welltower from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $230.00 to $260.00 in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Welltower from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Welltower from $266.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Welltower from $215.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on Welltower from $259.00 to $246.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $255.86.

Welltower Company Profile

Welltower Inc (NYSE: WELL) is a healthcare-focused real estate investment trust that owns, develops, and manages properties used to provide healthcare and related services. Its portfolio is centered on senior housing communities, outpatient medical facilities, and post-acute care properties, including assets operated by healthcare providers and senior living companies.

The company’s senior housing investments support independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. Its outpatient medical properties accommodate physicians, clinics, and other healthcare providers, while its broader healthcare real estate portfolio is designed to serve demand for care delivered outside traditional hospitals.