Aviv REIT: A Strong Defensive Play?

Following its initial public offering on Thursday March 21st,

has been received very well, gaining almost 7.5 percent during its life as a publicly traded company. Now that the analysts have had a chance to dig into the company, and a pair of big names have mixed feelings on the name. The first of the ratings came from Morgan Stanley, which initiated the company with an

and a $26 price target. The report stated that the company was poised for “acquisition fueled growth”, and that the company provided a defensive cash flow stream, but wouldn't go as far as giving it a Buy equivalent rating. The second heavyweight initiating the company was Bank of America, giving it a

and a $24 price objective. In the report, analyst Jana Galan said that the company has strong external growth opportunities through acquisitions, and that the companies primary growth would have to come from deals. It was also stated that the company possessed assets that were in strong demand, and that barriers to entry into the space helped defend the company's position, furthering it as a safe play. Finally, Goldman Sachs also gave its two cents on the company, rating it at

with a price target of $25. The report stated that it has faith in the company's "experienced management team" to make skilled acquisitions, but that the stock's 25 percent appreciation since its IPO will require very strong performance for shares to continue their rise. Interestingly enough, the reports did not give much insight into what catalysts would be needed to move the company to a Buy equivalent rating, making these ratings a bit toothless. Following the reports Monday, shares of Aviv REIT have traded up a little under one percent to $24.20.