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WELLHealthcare REIT: seniors housing

Welltower

Not investment advice. Kevin may own this stock. How we value stocks

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Updated

Price
$247.35
Analysts view
Analysts Bullish
Discount category
Pricey
Top pick
Research only
Next earnings
Earnings Feb 9 · · estimated
History
Market cap
$181B
Shares of Oct 23, 2026
P/E (trailing)
108.0
Price of Nov 10, 2026
EPS (trailing)
$2.29
12 months to Sep 30, 2026
52-week range
$181.47 – $255.20
To Nov 9, 2026
Beta
0.79
Vs S&P 500, 5 years monthly, to Oct 30, 2026
Average volume
2.7M
3 months, to Nov 9, 2026

Check the numbers:ExchangeGoogle FinanceYahoo FinanceSEC filings

In short

Thesis
Investors pay a premium for Welltower's fast growth in seniors housing cash flow, and high occupancy gains with good returns on its large acquisitions over several years can earn it.
Gap
Slow. The Q4 2026 report with the 2027 guidance, expected in February 2027, is the next test, but the premium needs several more years of fast growth in FFO per share.

Company guidance: Normalized FFO attributable to common stockholders of $6.47 to $6.53 per diluted share for 2026 (, Q3 2026 earnings release (8-K))

Price history

About

Welltower is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns rental housing for older adults in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Most of its income comes from its Seniors Housing Operating portfolio, where it owns the communities and pays operating partners to run them, so it keeps the profit from rents and services. It also leases seniors housing, skilled nursing and outpatient medical buildings to tenants, and it has sold many outpatient medical buildings since late 2025.

Total revenues were $3.72 billion in Q3 2026. Welltower has paid 222 consecutive quarterly dividends, and it is based in Toledo, Ohio.

Thesis

Welltower trades at a premium because investors pay for fast growth in cash flow per share from seniors housing. Normalized FFO per share rose 24.6% to $1.67 in Q3 2026, and same store NOI in the Seniors Housing Operating portfolio rose 21.0%, as occupancy rose 320 basis points and revenue per occupied room rose 5.3%. More older adults need this housing, and Welltower uses its low leverage to buy more communities: it closed or agreed to $21.0 billion of investments in 2026 to October 26. Welltower raised its 2026 normalized FFO guidance three times, to $6.47 to $6.53 per share.

For the premium to be earned, three things must be true. Same store NOI growth in Seniors Housing Operating must stay high in 2027, as occupancy keeps rising and rents grow. New acquisitions must earn the returns that management expects, so that FFO per share keeps growing fast after the large purchases of 2025 and 2026. Net debt must stay near 3 times adjusted EBITDA while Welltower buys.

The Q4 2026 report with the 2027 guidance, expected in February 2027, is the next test. The premium can shrink if occupancy gains slow, if new building of seniors housing rises or if Welltower pays too much for acquisitions.

Checkpoints

  1. Feb 9, 2027 · est.Pending
    Q4 2026 results and 2027 guidance2027 normalized FFO guidance for double-digit growth per share and Seniors Housing Operating same store NOI growth near the 2026 level pass; guidance for much slower growth fails.

Every passed and failed checkpoint across all picks

Recent events

  • October 26, 2026Welltower reported Q3 2026 results. Normalized FFO per share rose 24.6% to $1.67, and total same store NOI rose 15.8%, with 21.0% growth in Seniors Housing Operating. Welltower said that it had closed or agreed to $21.0 billion of investments in 2026. It raised its 2026 normalized FFO guidance to $6.47 to $6.53 per share from $6.36 to $6.44 and declared a dividend of $0.85 per share.
  • July 27, 2026Welltower reported Q2 2026 results. Normalized FFO per share rose 25.0% to $1.60, and Seniors Housing Operating same store NOI rose 20.5%. It raised its 2026 normalized FFO guidance to $6.36 to $6.44 per share. In July 2026, it sold C$1.15 billion of senior unsecured notes due 2031 and 2033.
  • June 1, 2026Welltower said that it expects to raise its quarterly dividend 15% to $0.85 per share, from the second quarter of 2026.
Show 2 older events
  • April 28, 2026Welltower reported Q1 2026 results and raised its 2026 normalized FFO guidance to $6.21 to $6.35 per share. On April 1, 2026, it completed the purchase of 38 seniors housing communities in Canada from Amica Senior Lifestyles for a pro rata price of C$4.1 billion.
  • February 10, 2026Welltower reported 2025 results. Normalized FFO per share rose 22.5% to $5.29, and Welltower completed $11 billion of net investments in 2025, mainly seniors housing in the U.S. and U.K. In Q4 2025 it sold $6.1 billion of properties, mainly outpatient medical buildings and skilled nursing properties. It guided 2026 normalized FFO of $6.09 to $6.25 per share.

Latest news and filings

Last earnings
October 26, 2026 (8-K on sec.gov)
Next earnings
Expected about February 9, 2027. The company has not confirmed the date.

Every filing on SEC EDGAR (CIK 766704)

Risks

  • Investors expect fast growth to continue. Seniors Housing Operating same store NOI rose about 21% in 2026 because occupancy and rents rose. If new building of seniors housing rises, or if occupancy gains slow, NOI growth can fall quickly.
  • Welltower closed or agreed to $21.0 billion of investments in 2026. If it pays too much, or if the acquired communities do not perform, FFO per share can grow slower than the market expects.
  • In the Seniors Housing Operating portfolio, Welltower carries the operating costs, such as wages, food and insurance. Higher labor costs or a change in government rules for seniors housing can lower margins.
  • Part of the portfolio is in the U.K. and Canada. A stronger U.S. dollar lowers the dollar value of income from those countries.

Balance sheet

Cash
$2.4B
Debt
$19.7B
Net debt
$17.3B
Net debt / EBITDA
3.0×
as the company states it

Cash against debt

Cash$2.4B
Debt$19.7B

debt covered by cashnet debt $17.3B

Leverage: net debt / EBITDA

low, under 2×medium, 2× to 4×high, over 4×

Welltower has low leverage for a REIT. Total debt was $19.67 billion at September 30, 2026, including financing lease liabilities: $14.69 billion of senior unsecured notes, $3.47 billion of secured debt and $1.04 billion of commercial paper.

Dividends

Dividend yield
1.2% (last 12 months, at today’s price of $247.35)
Paid per share
$3.07 in the last 12 months (4 payments)
Current annual rate
$3.40 ($0.85 × 4 a year)
Payout ratio
203% of the last fiscal year’s earnings (the year that ended December 31, 2025)
Latest ex-dividend date
August 12, 2026, $0.85 per share

Dividends per share by year

Welltower dividends per share by year
2016
$3.44
2017
$3.48
2018
$3.48
2019
$3.48
2020
$2.70
2021
$2.44
2022
$2.44
2023
$2.44
2024
$2.56
2025
$2.82

Over the last 10 years, the dividend fell by about 1.1% a year.

Source: company filings and market data, read on November 9, 2026. The ex-dividend date is the first day a buyer no longer gets the next payment.

Questions about Welltower

What does Welltower do?

Welltower is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns rental housing for older adults in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Its market cap is $181B at the current price of $247.35.

When does Welltower report earnings next?

This is an estimate: Welltower may report on February 9, 2027. It last reported results on October 26, 2026.

Is Welltower stock below its intrinsic value?

Welltower stock is pricey. This is general information, not advice.

What changed recently at Welltower?

The latest update is from October 26, 2026. Welltower reported Q3 2026 results.

What are the main risks for Welltower?

Investors expect fast growth to continue. Welltower closed or agreed to $21.0 billion of investments in 2026. In the Seniors Housing Operating portfolio, Welltower carries the operating costs, such as wages, food and insurance.

How much debt and cash does Welltower have?

At September 30, 2026, Welltower had $19.7B of debt and $2.4B of cash.

Does Welltower pay a dividend?

Yes. Welltower paid $3.07 per share in the last 12 months. That is a dividend yield of 1.2% at the current price of $247.35. The latest ex-dividend date was August 12, 2026.

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