Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $81.6250.

A number of equities analysts have commented on VTR shares. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $93.00 price target on shares of Ventas in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $93.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Ventas from $80.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Ventas in a research note on Friday, January 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $94.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on Ventas from $80.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th.

Key Stories Impacting Ventas

Here are the key news stories impacting Ventas this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $3.78–$3.88 and provided an optimistic 2026 outlook, a key driver supporting the rally as it implies materially higher earnings power than prior expectations. Business Wire: Ventas Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue rose ~21.7% year‑over‑year to $1.55B, beating the $1.53B estimate; management highlighted growth execution in senior housing and enterprise expansion — supportive for growth-oriented REIT investors. SeattlePI: Ventas Q4 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: Board increased the dividend (company announced dividend action in the results release), which can attract income investors and signal confidence in cash flow. Business Wire: Ventas Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 FFO / EPS printed $0.89, essentially in line with consensus (FFO matched estimates). Meeting estimates reduces downside surprise risk but limits immediate upside from the quarter itself. Zacks: Ventas Matches Q4 FFO Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is constructive overall (several price-target raises and multiple buy/overweight ratings), which supports investor sentiment but is already reflected in recent price gains. MarketBeat: Ventas Stock Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Debra Cafaro sold 10,322 shares (~$800k), a disclosed insider sale that can be read negatively by some investors even though she retains a large stake. American Banking News: Debra Cafaro Sells Shares
• Negative Sentiment: MarketBeat flagged a very high payout ratio (~369% reported) and leverage metrics (debt/equity ~1.0); these raise questions about dividend sustainability and balance‑sheet risk if growth slows. MarketBeat: Ventas Financials

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Peter J. Bulgarelli sold 2,771 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.01, for a total transaction of $221,707.71. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 108,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,698,447.17. This trade represents a 2.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 41,294 shares of Ventas stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.01, for a total transaction of $3,262,638.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,145,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $90,521,361.95. The trade was a 3.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 130,459 shares of company stock valued at $10,152,803. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ventas in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC bought a new position in Ventas during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Wiser Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Ventas in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in Ventas by 1,557.7% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 431 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ventas by 76.1% during the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 456 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. 94.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ventas Price Performance

Ventas stock opened at $79.82 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $37.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 153.49, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $73.08. Ventas has a 52 week low of $58.72 and a 52 week high of $81.89.

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89. The firm had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. Ventas had a return on equity of 2.05% and a net margin of 4.28%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.81 EPS. Ventas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.780-3.880 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Ventas will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ventas Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Ventas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 369.23%.

About Ventas

Ventas, Inc (NYSE: VTR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in healthcare-related real estate. The company acquires, owns and manages a diversified portfolio of properties serving the healthcare continuum, including senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings, life science and research centers, and other properties leased to healthcare providers and operators. Ventas generates revenue through long-term leases, property management and selective development activities focused on meeting the real estate needs of the healthcare sector.

Ventas’ business model combines property ownership with active asset management and capital markets activity.