Entropy Technologies LP Purchases 17,271 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Entropy Technologies LP boosted its stake in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) by 36.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 64,853 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,271 shares during the quarter. Entropy Technologies LP’s holdings in Ventas were worth $3,819,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Ventas by 11.3% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 7,837 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $462,000 after purchasing an additional 797 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its position in Ventas by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 128,011 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $7,539,000 after purchasing an additional 7,449 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in Ventas by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,423,945 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $83,856,000 after purchasing an additional 94,791 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Ventas by 11.9% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 84,481 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $4,962,000 after purchasing an additional 9,010 shares during the period. Finally, Spirit of America Management Corp NY lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY now owns 11,450 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $674,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.18% of the company’s stock.

Ventas Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of VTR stock opened at $60.60 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $59.60 and its 200-day moving average is $61.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. Ventas, Inc. has a 52 week low of $41.45 and a 52 week high of $67.61.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. Ventas’s payout ratio is presently -1,058.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VTR. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a report on Thursday, December 19th. StockNews.com upgraded Ventas from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Baird R W upgraded Ventas from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Scotiabank upped their target price on Ventas from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded Ventas from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and cut their target price for the company from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $68.71.

About Ventas

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.