Welltower Stock Rises 32.3% Year to Date: Will the Trend Last?

Shares of Welltower WELL have gained 32.3% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the industry’s upside of 1.6%.Welltower owns a well-diversified portfolio of healthcare real estate assets in the key markets of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Given an aging population and an expected rise in senior citizens’ healthcare expenditure, the company’s senior housing operating (“SHO”) segment is well-poised to benefit from this positive trend. Portfolio-repositioning efforts and a healthy balance sheet bode well.Analysts seem positive on this healthcare REIT, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 FFO per share has been revised 2 cents northward to $5.12 over the past month. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Factors Behind WELL Stock’s Price RiseThe senior citizens’ population is expected to rise in the years ahead. As a result, the national healthcare expenditure by senior citizens, who constitute a major customer base of healthcare services, is likely to increase in the upcoming period. Muted new supply has also been a tailwind for this industry. Capitalizing on these positive aspects, WELL’s SHO portfolio is well-prepared for compelling multiyear revenue growth. The second quarter of 2025 marked the 11th consecutive quarter in which year-over-year SHO SSNOI growth exceeded 20%.Welltower remains focused on improving its SHO portfolio through the addition of strategic properties and the recycling of capital through dispositions. With these prudent capital-allocation measures, the company has improved its SHO portfolio operator diversification and expanded geographic footprint in high-barrier-to-entry urban markets. From the beginning of the year through July 28, 2025, Welltower carried out pro-rata acquisitions and loan funding totaling $2.08 billion for 78 SHO properties.Historically, there has been a favorable outpatient visit trend compared with inpatient admissions. Banking on this, the company is optimizing its OM portfolio, growing relationships with health system partners and deploying capital in strategic acquisitions. Given the favorable secular trends and growing need for value-based care, the company’s efforts to strengthen its OM footprint will boost long-term growth.Welltower has been actively banking on its growth opportunities through acquisitions. In March 2025, Welltower announced that it is under contract to acquire the Amica Senior Lifestyles portfolio from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for C$4.6 billion. The deal, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected to conclude in late 2025 or early 2026.Welltower has a healthy balance sheet position and ample liquidity to meet near-term obligations and fund its development pipeline. As of June 30, 2025, it had $9.5 billion of available liquidity, including $4.5 billion of cash & restricted cash and full capacity under the $5 billion line of credit. As of June 30, 2025, the net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 2.93X, improving from 3.68X year over year. Moreover, Welltower’s debt maturities are well-laddered, with a weighted average maturity of 5.8 years, enhancing its financial flexibility.With the factors mentioned above, the positive trend in the stock is expected to continue in the near term.Key Risks for WELLA competitive landscape in the senior housing market and tenant concentration in its triple-net portfolio are likely to weigh on Welltower.Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Digital Realty Trust DLR and OUTFRONT Media OUT, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DLR’s 2025 FFO per share has moved a cent northward to $7.21 over the past two months.OUT’s Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 FFO per share has moved a cent upward to $1.89 over the past two months.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.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockThis under-the-radar company specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. And it's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $971 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR): Free Stock Analysis Report OUTFRONT Media Inc. (OUT): Free Stock Analysis Report Welltower Inc. (WELL): 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