Kite Realty Group Trust (NYSE:KRG) vs. Ventas (NYSE:VTR) Head-To-Head Survey

Ventas (NYSE:VTR) and Kite Realty Group Trust (NYSE:KRG) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, profitability, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares Ventas and Kite Realty Group Trust’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Ventas	-1.38%	-0.69%	-0.27%
Kite Realty Group Trust	-1.18%	-0.28%	-0.14%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Ventas and Kite Realty Group Trust, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Ventas	0	1	7	2	3.10
Kite Realty Group Trust	0	4	3	1	2.63

Ventas presently has a consensus price target of $67.13, indicating a potential upside of 14.06%. Kite Realty Group Trust has a consensus price target of $29.13, indicating a potential upside of 24.77%. Given Kite Realty Group Trust’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Kite Realty Group Trust is more favorable than Ventas.

Volatility & Risk

Ventas has a beta of 1.37, indicating that its stock price is 37% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kite Realty Group Trust has a beta of 1.29, indicating that its stock price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

94.2% of Ventas shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.8% of Kite Realty Group Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.0% of Ventas shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.0% of Kite Realty Group Trust shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Ventas and Kite Realty Group Trust”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Ventas	$4.50 billion	5.49	-$40.97 million	($0.17)	-346.15
Kite Realty Group Trust	$823.00 million	6.23	$47.50 million	($0.04)	-583.58

Kite Realty Group Trust has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Ventas. Kite Realty Group Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ventas, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Dividends

Ventas pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.1%. Kite Realty Group Trust pays an annual dividend of $1.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.6%. Ventas pays out -1,058.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Kite Realty Group Trust pays out -2,700.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Kite Realty Group Trust is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

Kite Realty Group Trust beats Ventas on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Ventas

Ventas Inc. (NYSE: VTR) is a leading S&P 500 real estate investment trust focused on delivering strong, sustainable shareholder returns by enabling exceptional environments that benefit a large and growing aging population. The Company's growth is fueled by its senior housing communities, which provide valuable services to residents and enable them to thrive in supported environments. Ventas leverages its unmatched operational expertise, data-driven insights from its Ventas Operational InsightsTM platform, extensive relationships and strong financial position to achieve its goal of delivering outsized performance across approximately 1,400 properties. The Ventas portfolio is composed of senior housing communities, outpatient medical buildings, research centers and healthcare facilities in North America and the United Kingdom. The Company benefits from a seasoned team of talented professionals who share a commitment to excellence, integrity and a common purpose of helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives.

About Kite Realty Group Trust

Kite Realty Group Trust (NYSE: KRG) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in Indianapolis, IN that is one of the largest publicly traded owners and operators of open-air shopping centers and mixed-use assets. The Company’s primarily grocery-anchored portfolio is located in high-growth Sun Belt and select strategic gateway markets. The combination of necessity-based grocery-anchored neighborhood and community centers, along with vibrant mixed-use assets makes the KRG portfolio an ideal mix for both retailers and consumers. Publicly listed since 2004, KRG has nearly 60 years of experience in developing, constructing and operating real estate. Using operational, investment, development, and redevelopment expertise, KRG continuously optimizes its portfolio to maximize value and return to shareholders. As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned interests in 180 U.S. open-air shopping centers and mixed-use assets, comprising approximately 28.1 million square feet of gross leasable space.