American Healthcare REIT (NYSE:AHR) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (NYSE:AHR) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $53.11 and last traded at $53.1420, with a volume of 353776 shares. The stock had previously closed at $52.50.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on AHR shares. Truist Financial cut their price target on American Healthcare REIT from $53.00 to $52.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of American Healthcare REIT in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on American Healthcare REIT from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Citigroup upped their target price on American Healthcare REIT from $45.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of American Healthcare REIT in a research note on Monday, December 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, American Healthcare REIT has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $52.00.

American Healthcare REIT Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $48.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The company has a market capitalization of $9.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 378.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.03.

American Healthcare REIT Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. American Healthcare REIT’s payout ratio is 714.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Healthcare REIT

In other news, Director Jeffrey T. Hanson sold 19,208 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.40, for a total transaction of $929,667.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Healthcare REIT

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in American Healthcare REIT by 2,984.1% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,161,549 shares of the company’s stock valued at $289,962,000 after purchasing an additional 5,961,767 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in American Healthcare REIT during the 4th quarter worth approximately $120,403,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in American Healthcare REIT by 354.0% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,153,129 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,326,000 after acquiring an additional 1,678,850 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in American Healthcare REIT by 130.1% in the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,557,850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $120,372,000 after acquiring an additional 1,445,987 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of American Healthcare REIT by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,974,195 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,175,286,000 after acquiring an additional 1,444,456 shares in the last quarter. 16.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About American Healthcare REIT

American Healthcare REIT, Inc (NYSE: AHR) was a publicly traded real estate investment trust focused on acquiring, owning and managing healthcare‐related properties across the United States. The company’s portfolio spanned senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings and outpatient care centers, all operated under long‐term net lease or triple‐net lease structures designed to provide stable, predictable rental income.

Employing a strategy of partnering with established healthcare operators, American Healthcare REIT targeted properties in both major metropolitan areas and high‐growth secondary markets to capitalize on demographic trends such as an aging population and increased demand for outpatient services.