National Health Investors (NYSE:NHI) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI) shares gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $73.03, but opened at $76.00. National Health Investors shares last traded at $75.4150, with a volume of 102,572 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on NHI shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $94.00 price objective on shares of National Health Investors in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on National Health Investors from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded National Health Investors from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on National Health Investors from $84.00 to $79.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price target on National Health Investors from $89.00 to $81.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, June 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.86.

National Health Investors Stock Up 1.3%

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $75.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $79.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 8.20 and a quick ratio of 8.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.58, a PEG ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.52.

National Health Investors (NYSE:NHI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by ($0.39). The company had revenue of $115.13 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.22 million. National Health Investors had a net margin of 36.86% and a return on equity of 9.82%. National Health Investors’s revenue was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.15 EPS. National Health Investors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.740-4.790 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that National Health Investors, Inc. will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current year.

National Health Investors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a $0.92 dividend. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. National Health Investors’s payout ratio is currently 118.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at National Health Investors

In other news, Director Robert A. Mccabe, Jr. bought 890 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $71.65 per share, with a total value of $63,768.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 44,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,163,992.35. The trade was a 2.06% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO D. Eric Mendelsohn purchased 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $68.84 per share, for a total transaction of $103,260.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 133,316 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,177,473.44. This represents a 1.14% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Health Investors

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NHI. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in National Health Investors by 0.8% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,498,414 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $516,624,000 after purchasing an additional 52,474 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in National Health Investors by 5.0% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,023,381 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $143,651,000 after buying an additional 95,812 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in National Health Investors by 2.0% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,700,908 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $137,537,000 after buying an additional 32,902 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of National Health Investors by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,262,657 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $96,443,000 after buying an additional 18,198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centersquare Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of National Health Investors by 17.0% in the fourth quarter. Centersquare Investment Management LLC now owns 1,154,060 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $88,136,000 after buying an additional 167,352 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.51% of the company’s stock.

About National Health Investors

National Health Investors, Inc (NYSE: NHI) is a specialized real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on owning and financing high-quality healthcare and senior housing facilities in the United States. The company’s portfolio encompasses a diverse range of properties, including skilled nursing centers, assisted living and memory care communities, behavioral health facilities, dialysis clinics, and medical office buildings. NHI typically enters into long-term net-lease agreements with experienced healthcare operators, providing stable and predictable rental income streams while enabling its tenants to concentrate on delivering quality care.

Since its founding in 1991 and initial public offering later that year, National Health Investors has pursued a disciplined growth strategy centered on strategic acquisitions, joint ventures, and selective development.