Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Acquires 40,000 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,749,167 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 40,000 shares during the quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board owned approximately 0.43% of Ventas worth $76,159,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in Ventas by 77.9% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the period. First Financial Corp IN purchased a new position in Ventas during the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Gradient Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Ventas by 82.7% during the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 718 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Ventas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new position in Ventas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 94.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ventas Price Performance

Ventas stock traded up $0.56 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $53.75. 1,370,416 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,816,651. The company has a market cap of $21.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -282.92, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.33. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $50.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $46.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. Ventas, Inc. has a 12-month low of $39.33 and a 12-month high of $54.51.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Investors of record on Monday, July 1st were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.35%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 1st. Ventas’s payout ratio is -947.37%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on VTR shares. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Ventas from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ventas from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.92.

Insider Activity at Ventas

In other Ventas news, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $103,818.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,031 shares in the company, valued at $1,259,900.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Gregory R. Liebbe sold 14,625 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.70, for a total value of $697,612.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 12,524 shares in the company, valued at $597,394.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Walter C. Rakowich sold 2,145 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $103,818.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,031 shares in the company, valued at $1,259,900.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 35,270 shares of company stock valued at $1,672,966 over the last 90 days. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ventas Company 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.