Oct 30 (Reuters) -

Healthcare REIT Ventas slightly raised the lower end

of its annual funds from operations (FFO) forecast on Wednesday,

expecting continued strong performance from its assisted living

and senior housing properties.

The company now sees its 2024 normalized FFO to be between

$3.14 and $3.18 per share, compared to its previous estimate of

$3.12 and $3.18 per share.

However, the midpoint of the new forecast range was slightly

below analysts' average estimate of $3.17 per share.

The Chicago-based healthcare-centric REIT owns and

leases senior housing and healthcare properties in the United

States and the United Kingdom, including outpatient medical

buildings and research centres.

Demand for senior housing is increasing due to an ageing

population in the United States and rising healthcare

expenditure among senior citizens.

Earlier this week, peer Welltower ( WELL ) raised its annual

FFO forecast due to resilient demand for senior housing.

Same-store net operating income in company's senior housing

operating portfolio rose 15.3% compared to the quarter a year

ago.

In the third quarter, the company's normalized FFO, a

key performance measure for REITs, was 80 cents per share, in

line with analysts' average estimate, according to data compiled

by LSEG.