Welltower (NYSE:WELL) Upgraded at Freedom Broker

Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Welltower (NYSE:WELL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have $255.00 price target on the real estate investment trust’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on WELL. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Welltower from $244.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Welltower from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Welltower from $226.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Welltower from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $230.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on Welltower from $239.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $259.81.

Welltower Price Performance

NYSE:WELL opened at $234.43 on Wednesday. Welltower has a 12-month low of $178.19 and a 12-month high of $255.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $171.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 101.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.75. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $233.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $218.24. The company has a quick ratio of 3.16, a current ratio of 3.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Welltower (NYSE:WELL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.03. Welltower had a net margin of 12.08% and a return on equity of 3.61%. The company had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.34 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 38.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Welltower will post 6.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Welltower Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 10th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 10th. Welltower’s dividend payout ratio is currently 147.19%.

Insider Transactions at Welltower

In related news, Director Andrew Gundlach acquired 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $242.06 per share, with a total value of $1,210,300.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 30,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,261,800. The trade was a 20.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Purchased indirectly through two trusts. The transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $241.59 to $242.59. The reported $242.06 price is the weighted-average purchase price. Insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Welltower

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WELL. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Welltower by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 78,049,214 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $17,714,830,000 after buying an additional 4,045,458 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Welltower by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 42,138,810 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $9,564,246,000 after purchasing an additional 578,033 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Welltower by 6.6% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,750,501 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $4,300,291,000 after buying an additional 1,347,243 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Welltower by 2.2% in the second quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 9,814,621 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,227,642,000 after buying an additional 207,966 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Welltower by 0.7% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 8,345,022 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,649,844,000 after purchasing an additional 57,938 shares during the last quarter. 94.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Welltower

Here are the key news stories impacting Welltower this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Welltower lifted its outlook after reporting strong growth in senior housing, providing the clearest near-term catalyst for the stock. The update suggests improving occupancy, pricing, or operating trends could support future earnings and cash flow. Welltower stock lifts outlook after strong senior housing growth
• Positive Sentiment: Freedom Broker upgraded Welltower’s depositary receipt from “hold” to “buy,” adding to the positive analyst sentiment surrounding the company. Freedom Broker upgrades Welltower
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage following the third-quarter update highlighted the raised outlook and senior-housing momentum, helping support the view that Welltower can continue benefiting from favorable demographic trends. Welltower stock after Q3 outlook lift
• Neutral Sentiment: Potential Social Security reform could materially affect seniors’ disposable income and therefore demand for senior housing, but the timing and details remain uncertain. Social Security reform and Welltower demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Raymond James lowered its price target to $263 but maintained a favorable view, calling Welltower a strong large-cap option. Cantor Fitzgerald also trimmed its target to $258 while retaining an “overweight” rating. These reductions may reflect valuation discipline rather than a change in the long-term outlook. Raymond James lowers Welltower price target
• Negative Sentiment: One market report characterized the shares as falling after an earnings miss, which could weigh on sentiment; however, the broader earnings coverage and company outlook update point to stronger-than-expected operating momentum. Welltower shares after earnings

About Welltower

Welltower Inc (NYSE: WELL) is a healthcare-focused real estate investment trust that owns, develops, and manages properties used to provide healthcare and related services. Its portfolio is centered on senior housing communities, outpatient medical facilities, and post-acute care properties, including assets operated by healthcare providers and senior living companies.

The company’s senior housing investments support independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. Its outpatient medical properties accommodate physicians, clinics, and other healthcare providers, while its broader healthcare real estate portfolio is designed to serve demand for care delivered outside traditional hospitals.