Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Buys 43,951 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 60.2% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 116,957 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 43,951 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Ventas were worth $5,829,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ventas during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in Ventas by 151.1% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 796 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 479 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC raised 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 worth $36,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ventas by 421.7% in the third quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 986 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 797 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the third quarter valued at $44,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on VTR. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Ventas in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Evercore ISI raised Ventas from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $46.00 target price (down previously from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a research report on Monday, February 26th. Bank of America upgraded Ventas from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $48.00 to $53.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.54.

Ventas Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:VTR opened at $43.55 on Wednesday. Ventas, Inc. has a 1 year low of $39.33 and a 1 year high of $50.99. The company has a market capitalization of $17.60 billion, a PE ratio of -395.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.26. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $43.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 0.51 and a quick ratio of 0.51.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st were given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.13%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 28th. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is -1,636.21%.

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.