Ventas upgraded to Strong Buy from Outperform at Raymond James

Raymond James upgraded Ventas (VTR) to Strong Buy from Outperform with an unchanged price target of $55. The analyst believes Ventas’ share underperformance verses Welltower (WELL) year-to-date presents a compelling opportunity to increase exposure to seniors housing at an attractive valuation. Ventas also remains the subject of an ongoing activist campaign and while nothing groundbreaking has been highlighted, the heightened focus and attention on management will ultimately continue “to move things in the right direction to help improve sentiment and performance,” the analyst tells investors in a research note.