Ventas Stock Gains 11.6% in 6 Months: Will the Trend Last?

Shares of Ventas VTR have gained 11.6% in the past six months compared with the industry’s 6% growth.This Chicago-based healthcare real estate investment trust (”REIT”) is well-poised to benefit from its diverse portfolio of healthcare real estate assets in the key markets of the United States and the U.K. An aging population and the rise in healthcare expenditure by senior citizens are likely to benefit the senior housing operating portfolio (SHOP).The outpatient medical portfolio is expected to gain from favorable outpatient visit trends. Ventas’ accretive investments to expand its research portfolio are encouraging. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Let us check out the possible factors behind the surge in the share price for this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company and see whether the trend will continue or not.The senior citizen population is expected to rise in the years ahead. As a result, the national healthcare expenditures of senior citizens, who constitute a major customer base for healthcare services and incur higher healthcare expenditures than the average population, are likely to increase in the upcoming period.With an expectation of a rising senior citizens’ population in the years ahead and low new supply in its markets, Ventas is well-prepared for a compelling multiyear growth opportunity. The increasing U.S. aging population is fueling the senior housing demand for this healthcare REIT. This is expected to drive the company’s top line. In 2025, Ventas expects its SHOP segment's same-store cash NOI to grow between 11% and 16%. The company expects the SHOP business to represent more than half of its total NOI by year-end 2025.Amid growing outpatient trends, Ventas is committed to capitalizing on this upside within its outpatient medical and research (OM&R) portfolio. The growth in the population aged 65 years and above is driving the increase in outpatient visits, as they make three times more visits to the doctor than the general population. Therefore, the portfolio is well-positioned to capitalize on this rising demand. The company expects the OM&R portfolio's same-store cash NOI to grow in the range of 2-3% in 2025.Ventas is carrying out accretive investments to enhance its research portfolio, which is essential for the delivery of crucial healthcare services and research related to life-saving vaccines and therapeutics. The company owns research centers in life science clusters, with a presence in some of the top-tier research university campuses. With top-rated tenants and long-lease leases, its high-quality portfolio assures steady growth in cash flows.Ventas has been making efforts to enhance its liquidity position and financial strength. As of March 31, 2025, the company had approximately $2.9 billion of liquidity. In April 2025, VTR increased its liquidity to $3.6 billion by expanding the unsecured credit facility by $750 million to $3.5 billion. Management expects continued leverage improvement in the balance of this year, driven by senior housing growth. Ventas’ access to diverse capital sources through capital recycling, on-balance sheet financing and internal cash flow provides ample financial flexibility and is likely to support its growth endeavors.With the above-mentioned factors, we believe the rising trend in the stock is expected to continue in the near term.Risks Likely to Affect VTR’s Positive TrendCompetition from national and local operators limits its power to raise rents and drive profitability. Dependence on a few tenants poses key concerns for Ventas. Substantial debt burden adds to its woes.Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector include SBA Communications SBAC and American Tower AMT, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SBAC’s 2025 FFO per share has moved 3 cents northward to $12.74 over the past two months.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMT’s 2025 FFO per share has moved 2 cents northward to $10.55 over the past week.Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the months ahead. 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(VTR): Free Stock Analysis Report SBA Communications Corporation (SBAC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks