Argus upgrades Ventas to Buy, sees new assets benefit from senior housing demand

As previously reported, Argus upgraded Ventas (VTR) to Buy from Hold with a $75 price target The stock had been hard hit by the pandemic when residents fled senior living and skilled care facilities, but with an ever-aging population and the growing demand for senior living, the company has returned to its core focus of private-pay senior living communities and away from medical office buildings, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Ventas also bought $2B of new senior housing assets in 2024, and expects to acquire another $1B in 2025, and these new assets will capitalize on demand that insiders project will begin an upward trajectory after pandemic lows, Argus added.