Baron Funds, an investment management company, released its fourth-quarter investor letter for the “Baron Health Care Fund”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The fund rose 13.10% (Institutional Shares) in the quarter, compared to a 11.92% gain for the Russell 3000 Health Care Index (benchmark) and a 2.40% gain for the Russell 3000 Index (the Index). The Fund returned 10.28% for the full year, compared to 14.56% and 17.15% gains for the indexes, respectively. Strong stock selection in biotechnol ...

Technology companies have been the early leaders in adopting AI. They are leveraging this powerful technology to increase efficiency, boost productivity, and enhance their growth. That has helped drive strong returns for tech stock investors. However, tech stocks aren't the only ones benefiting from AI-driven advances. The healthcare sector is starting to capitalize on this technology. That should benefit healthcare REIT Welltower (NYSE: WELL). Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just reveal ...

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL, OTCQX: WHTCF) (the "Company†or "WELL†), a digital healthcare company focused on positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare practitioners and their patients globally, is pleased to announce the release of a letter to shareholders from its Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hamed Shahbazi, outlining the Company's strategic priorities for 2026 and the principles guidin ...

Forward-Looking Statements Investors and other interested parties may access the conference call in the following ways: A replay of the conference call will be available beginning at approximately 1:00 p.m. ET on February 11, 2026 and ending on February 18, 2026. The dial-in number for United States participants is (800) 770-2030. For international participants, the replay dial-in number is (609) 800-9909. The replay conference ID number is 8230248. About Welltower Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL), an S&P 500 co ...

Core Insights - Welltower (WELL) shares have increased by 19.4% over the past six months, significantly outperforming the industry average gain of 2.9% [1][8] - The company has a well-diversified portfolio of healthcare real estate assets across key markets in the United States, Canada, and the U.K. [1] Industry Trends - The aging population and rising healthcare expenditures among senior citizens are expected to drive solid demand for Welltower's seniors housing operating portfolio (SHOP) [2][4] - Favorable trends in outpatient medical visits compared to inpatient admissions are anticipated to benefit the outpatient medical (OM) segment [5] Company Strategy - Welltower is focused on enhancing its SHO portfolio through strategic property additions and capital recycling via asset dispositions [6] - From the beginning of the year through October 27, 2025, Welltower completed $5.82 billion in pro-rata gross investments, including $5.47 billion in acquisitions and loan funding [6] Financial Position - As of September 30, 2025, Welltower had $11.9 billion in available liquidity, including $6.9 billion in cash and restricted cash, and full capacity under a $5 billion line of credit [9] - The company's net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio stands at 2.36X, with a well-laddered debt maturity profile averaging 5.7 years [9]

Welltower Inc (NYSE:WELL) is bouncing off the 20-week moving average and its December 2025 lows. The price is also holding steady at the +50% year-over-year level, making now an opportune time for bulls to move in.  Short-term options traders have been flocking toward puts, too. This is per WELL’s Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.35 that ranks in the 96th percentile of its annual range. Plus, these options are looking affordable, per the stock’s Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 25% ...

REIT Performance Overview - REITs finished December 2025 with a total return of -1.48%, underperforming the broader market indices such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (+0.92%), S&P 500 (+0.06%), and NASDAQ (-0.09%) [1] - The Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) had a December return of -2.24%, but outperformed the average REIT over the full year with a return of +3.26% compared to -3.57% for the average REIT [1] - The spread between the 2026 FFO multiples of large cap REITs (15.9x) and small cap REITs (12.7x) narrowed, with large caps contracting by 0.3 turns and small caps by 0.1 turns [1] Monthly Performance by Market Capitalization - In December, only small cap REITs had a positive total return of +0.51%, while mid caps (-1.77%), large caps (-2.55%), and micro caps (-3.88%) all finished in the red [3] - For the full year 2025, small cap REITs outperformed large caps by 240 basis points [3] Monthly Performance by Property Type - Half of the REIT property types averaged positive returns in December, with a total return spread of 13.22% between the best (Malls +6.19%, Single Family Housing +5.20%) and worst performing property types (Infrastructure -7.02%, Office -6.79%) [5][6] - The average return for REITs in December was -1.48%, with 9 out of 18 property types showing positive returns [5][6] Year-to-Date Performance by Property Type - For the full year 2025, the worst performing property types included Office (-22.07%), Infrastructure (-20.08%), and Land (-15.77%), all averaging double-digit negative total returns [7] - The top performing property types for the year were Health Care (+25.74%), Advertising (+25.50%), and Malls (+15.56%) [7] FFO Multiples and Valuation Trends - The average P/FFO for the REIT sector decreased from 13.7x to 13.4x during December, with 22.2% of property types experiencing multiple expansion and 72.2% seeing contraction [8] - Data Centers (22x), Land (21x), Manufactured Housing (17.5x), and Shopping Centers (16.5x) had the highest average multiples among REIT property types, while Hotels (7.7x) and Office (8.1x) were the only types with single-digit FFO multiples [8][9] Notable Individual Securities - Paramount Group (PGRE) was acquired by Rithm Capital Corp. for $6.60/share on December 19, marking the end of its trading [10] - Alexander & Baldwin (ALEX) was the best performing REIT in December with a gain of +34.29%, driven by news of its acquisition by Blackstone Real Estate and others for $21.20/share [11] - Fermi (FRMI) experienced the steepest losses in December at -51.49% after a major tenant canceled a $150 million agreement [12] Overall Market Sentiment - 42.04% of REITs had a positive total return in December, while 38.36% were in the black for the full year [13] - The average total return for REITs in 2025 was -3.57%, significantly lower than the +3.70% return for the sector in 2024 [13]

Company Overview - Welltower Inc. is a real estate investment trust based in Toledo, Ohio, focusing on investments with senior housing operators, post-acute providers, and health systems. The company has a market capitalization of $127.7 billion and is expected to release its Q4 2025 earnings soon [1]. Earnings Expectations - Analysts anticipate Welltower to generate earnings of $1.41 per share for Q4 2025, representing a 24.8% increase from $1.13 per share reported in the same quarter last year. The company has consistently surpassed bottom-line estimates in the past four quarters [2]. - For fiscal 2025, analysts expect an EPS of $5.28, indicating a 22.2% increase from $4.32 reported in fiscal 2024. Additionally, EPS is projected to rise 14.2% year over year to $6.03 in fiscal 2026 [3]. Stock Performance - Welltower's shares have surged 49.6% over the past 52 weeks, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index's 19.7% rise and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF's 3.7% return during the same period [4]. - Following the release of better-than-expected Q3 2025 earnings on October 27, Welltower's stock grew 2.6%. The company's total revenue for the quarter increased 30.6% year over year to $2.7 billion, surpassing estimates. Normalized FFO per share grew 20.7% from the previous year to $1.34, also beating Wall Street's expectations [5]. Analyst Ratings - The consensus opinion among analysts is very optimistic, with a "Strong Buy" rating overall. Out of 19 analysts covering the stock, 14 recommend a "Strong Buy," two suggest a "Moderate Buy," and three recommend a "Hold." The average analyst price target for Welltower is $212.89, indicating a potential upside of 14% from current levels [6].

Core Insights - Welltower, Inc. (WELL) and Medical Properties (MPW) are significant players in the healthcare real estate investment trust (REIT) sector, with differing strategies and structures [1][2] - The choice between these two REITs reflects a preference for growth (Welltower) versus stable income (Medical Properties) [3] Group 1: Welltower Overview - Welltower focuses on senior housing, outpatient medical, and post-acute care properties across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, operating over 2,000 senior and wellness housing communities [4] - The company anticipates sustained occupancy growth in its senior housing operating (SHO) portfolio due to a supply-demand imbalance, leading to multi-year revenue growth [5] - Welltower employs "triple net" leases, insulating itself from short-term market fluctuations and ensuring steady revenue growth [6] - The company actively engages in capital recycling to finance investments and development opportunities, enhancing long-term growth prospects [7] - Welltower maintains a strong balance sheet with ample liquidity and favorable credit ratings, allowing access to debt markets under favorable conditions [8] Group 2: Medical Properties Overview - Medical Properties focuses on acquiring and developing net-leased healthcare facilities, with a portfolio of 388 properties and approximately 39,000 licensed beds leased to 51 hospital operating companies [10] - The company relies on long-term net-leased hospitals with CPI-linked rent escalations to ensure stable rental income [11] - Medical Properties actively manages operator concentration risk and employs a disciplined capital-recycling strategy to enhance liquidity and financial flexibility [13][14] - Despite significant debt levels, the company’s disciplined financial management supports ongoing operations [15] Group 3: Financial Estimates and Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Welltower's 2025 sales and funds from operations (FFO) per share indicates year-over-year growth of 29.8% and 21.5%, respectively [16] - In contrast, Medical Properties' estimates for 2025 sales and FFO per share suggest a decline of 5.1% and 31.3%, respectively [18] - Over the past three months, Welltower shares have increased by 6.5%, while Medical Properties stock has risen by 2%, outperforming the Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry, which decreased by 1.4% [21] - Welltower is trading at a forward price-to-FFO of 30.97X, above its three-year median, while Medical Properties is at 7.71X, also above its three-year median [22] Group 4: Conclusion - Welltower and Medical Properties both benefit from strong healthcare sector demand but offer different investment profiles, with Welltower positioned for growth and Medical Properties for stable income [25] - Welltower's favorable demographic trends, investment-grade credit ratings, and healthy balance sheet provide it with a competitive edge [25] - For investors seeking long-term growth, Welltower is currently viewed as the more attractive healthcare REIT option [26]

Core Insights - The current hottest sector in commercial real estate is not data centers, contrary to popular belief [1] Group 1 - The term "hottest" does not refer to the most discussed sector but rather to performance metrics [1]