Welltower (NYSE:WELL) Upgraded at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Welltower (NYSE:WELL) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have $260.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on WELL. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of Welltower in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $226.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Welltower in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $275.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Welltower from $237.00 to $266.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Welltower from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price objective on Welltower from $244.00 to $251.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Welltower currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $255.39.

Welltower Trading Down 0.9%

Welltower stock opened at $231.40 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $237.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $221.38. Welltower has a 52 week low of $163.75 and a 52 week high of $255.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $166.78 billion, a PE ratio of 106.15, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.76. 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, July 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $3.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.40 billion. Welltower had a return on equity of 3.56% and a net margin of 12.15%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 39.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.28 earnings per share. Welltower has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.360-6.440 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Welltower will post 6.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Welltower Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 12th. This is an increase from Welltower’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. Welltower’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 155.96%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Welltower news, Director Andrew Gundlach purchased 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $242.06 per share, for a total transaction of $1,210,300.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 30,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,261,800. The trade was a 20.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available 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. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Welltower

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Leonteq Securities AG increased its stake in shares of Welltower by 92.3% in the first quarter. Leonteq Securities AG now owns 125 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in Welltower by 124.6% during the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 137 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in Welltower during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new stake in Welltower during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in Welltower during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.80% of the company’s stock.

Welltower News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Welltower this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded Welltower from “Neutral” to “Overweight” and set a $260 price target, implying roughly 12% upside from the referenced price. The upgrade indicates improved confidence in the REIT’s senior-housing and healthcare real-estate outlook. JP Morgan Upgrades Welltower to Overweight from Neutral
• Positive Sentiment: The JPMorgan upgrade initially lifted investor sentiment, with coverage noting that Welltower shares rose following the change in rating. Welltower Shares Rise After JPMorgan Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Welltower’s long-term opportunity is supported by favorable demographics: approximately two million Americans are expected to turn 80 this year, while senior-housing construction remains historically low. Those conditions could support occupancy, rents and development returns over time. 4 Senior Housing REITs Betting Big on America’s Aging Population
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent reports highlighted strong second-quarter revenue growth, including a 39.1% year-over-year increase. However, the latest reported quarter also included an earnings-per-share miss, making the quality and sustainability of growth important for investors. Welltower Stock Reports 39.1 Percent Revenue Growth
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analysis argued that Welltower’s shares are priced for continued compounding even as growth may be slowing. With the stock trading at a high earnings multiple, any deceleration in operating growth or disappointment in guidance could pressure the shares. Welltower: Priced For Compounding That Is Already Slowing

About Welltower

Welltower Inc is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, operates and finances healthcare-related real estate. The company focuses on properties that support healthcare delivery and services, including senior housing communities, outpatient medical facilities and post-acute care properties.

Welltower partners with healthcare providers, senior housing operators and other service providers to develop and manage facilities designed to serve aging populations and patients requiring ongoing or specialized care.