Welltower (NYSE:WELL) Upgraded to Buy at Freedom Broker

Welltower (NYSE:WELL) was upgraded by analysts at Freedom Broker from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $255.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock. Freedom Broker‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 12.34% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on WELL. Barclays dropped their target price on Welltower from $259.00 to $246.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Welltower from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $230.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Welltower from $226.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $256.00 price objective (down from $260.00) on shares of Welltower in a report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Welltower from $266.00 to $268.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Welltower has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $255.73.

Welltower Stock Up 0.1%

Welltower stock traded up $0.27 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $226.99. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,849,735 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,118,358. The company has a market capitalization of $163.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 98.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.75. Welltower has a 12 month low of $174.91 and a 12 month high of $255.20. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $233.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $217.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 3.16 and a current ratio of 3.16.

Welltower (NYSE:WELL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.03. Welltower had a net margin of 12.15% and a return on equity of 3.56%. The firm had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.34 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 38.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Welltower will post 6.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Welltower

In related news, Director Andrew Gundlach acquired 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $242.06 per share, for a total transaction of $1,210,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 30,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,261,800. The trade was a 20.00% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 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.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Welltower

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Welltower by 2,880.5% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 49,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $11,282,000 after purchasing an additional 47,356 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al grew its position in shares of Welltower by 15.6% during the 3rd quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 321,367 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $73,992,000 after purchasing an additional 43,400 shares in the last quarter. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Welltower by 2.4% during the third quarter. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,419 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $557,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Founders Financial Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of Welltower by 12.0% during the third quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 1,508 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $347,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the period. Finally, Choreo LLC raised its position in shares of Welltower by 4.5% in the third quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 13,588 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,129,000 after buying an additional 582 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.80% of the company’s stock.

More Welltower News

Here are the key news stories impacting Welltower this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FFO beat estimates and guidance was raised. Welltower reported third-quarter funds from operations of $1.67 per share, ahead of the $1.64 consensus estimate and up from $1.34 a year earlier. Management increased its full-year 2026 FFO outlook, supported by stronger senior housing performance. Welltower Surpasses Q3 FFO and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Senior housing growth remains the main catalyst. Normalized FFO increased 24.6% year over year, while same-store net operating income rose 15.8% and same-store senior housing operating revenue increased 9.1%. Higher occupancy, expanding margins and Welltower’s $2.7 billion of third-quarter senior housing acquisitions strengthened its growth profile. Welltower Reports Senior Housing Acquisitions
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved. Freedom Broker upgraded Welltower to Buy following the results, while other coverage characterized the company as a high-quality, investment-grade senior housing REIT with resilient portfolio growth and relatively low operator concentration risk. Welltower Upgraded to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Welltower maintained its quarterly dividend. The company declared a $0.85-per-share dividend, or $3.40 annualized, payable November 19 to shareholders of record November 10. The roughly 1.5% yield provides income support but is modest for a REIT. Welltower Declares Cash Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and rising leverage are weighing on the shares. Investors appear concerned that much of Welltower’s growth is already reflected in its valuation, while higher interest rates and additional acquisition financing could pressure future returns. The company also filed prospectus supplements covering potential issuances of common shares, creating possible dilution concerns. Welltower’s Strong Earnings Couldn’t Stop the Sell-Off

Welltower Company Profile

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.