Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. Acquires 1,401 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 0.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 277,928 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 1,401 shares during the quarter. Ventas comprises about 1.8% of Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc.’s holdings in Ventas were worth $16,367,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. HB Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ventas by 14.3% during the fourth quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,812 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $342,000 after purchasing an additional 725 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its stake in Ventas by 48.0% in the 4th quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,853 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $109,000 after buying an additional 601 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Ventas by 32.0% in the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 21,103 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,243,000 after buying an additional 5,115 shares during the period. Avanza Fonder AB bought a new stake in Ventas during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,499,000. Finally, Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership boosted its position in Ventas by 196.2% in the 4th quarter. Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership now owns 17,769 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,040,000 after buying an additional 11,769 shares during the period. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total value of $8,022,980.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,291,063.89. This trade represents a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Ventas Trading Up 0.8 %

VTR opened at $58.85 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The business’s 50-day moving average is $60.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $60.41. Ventas, Inc. has a 1 year low of $41.45 and a 1 year high of $67.61.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.06%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. Ventas’s payout ratio is currently -1,058.76%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VTR. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Baird R W raised Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird raised Ventas from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ventas from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $67.13.

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.