MetLife Investment Management LLC Reduces Holdings in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

MetLife Investment Management LLC lowered its position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 0.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 119,793 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 499 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Ventas were worth $7,682,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Community Trust NA purchased a new position in shares of Ventas in the second quarter worth about $25,000. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new position in Ventas in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Ventas during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ventas in the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the second quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Trading Down 0.7 %

NYSE VTR opened at $64.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market cap of $26.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -376.88, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.36. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $64.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $58.00. Ventas, Inc. has a one year low of $41.45 and a one year high of $67.61.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st were paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.81%. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1,058.82%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Ventas to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Wedbush raised their target price on Ventas from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Ventas from $52.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $63.63.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total transaction of $8,022,980.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. The trade was a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Peter J. Bulgarelli sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.99, for a total value of $389,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 90,795 shares in the company, valued at $5,900,767.05. This trade represents a 6.20 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 140,079 shares of company stock valued at $9,241,311 in the last three months. 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.