Ventas Inc. has sold six underperforming skilled nursing facilities to its tenant, Kindred Healthcare Inc., for a total cash consideration of $58 million. The transaction includes a $55.7 million purchase price and a $2.3 million lease termination fee. The deal was announced July 1.

Chicago-based Ventas expects to record a gain of more than $35 million from the property sales transaction in the second quarter. The gain will be excluded from funds from operations.

The six skilled nursing facilities contain 777 beds, equating to a total consideration of approximately $74,600 per bed. Current annual rent on the six facilities is approximately $5.8 million.

The sold skilled nursing facilities generated pretax losses to Kindred of approximately $3 million for the year ended Dec. 31,2008 and approximately $2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2009, according to company officials.

Kindred intends to sell the facilities and expects to generate proceeds of approximately $15 million to $20 million.

The stock price of Ventas (NYSE: VTR), a health care real estate investment trust, closed at $33.05 per share on July 24, well below its 52-week high of $52 per share.

Louisville-based Kindred Healthcare (NYSE: KND) —  which operates long-term acute care hospitals, skilled nursing centers and a contract rehabilitation services business — also is looking to boost its stock price. The operator’s share price closed at $14.03 per share on July 24, down from its 52-week high of $33.25.