Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) Shares Up 1.1% – Should You Buy?

Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG) rose 1.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $71.73 and last traded at $71.84. Approximately 105,415 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 89% from the average daily volume of 1,000,174 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.07.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. BTIG Research increased their price target on Regency Centers from $72.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on Regency Centers from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Regency Centers from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Regency Centers from $81.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Regency Centers has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $78.08.

Regency Centers Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company’s fifty day moving average is $72.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $73.03. The stock has a market cap of $12.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.79, a P/E/G ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 1.23.

Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.61. Regency Centers had a return on equity of 5.91% and a net margin of 27.54%. As a group, research analysts predict that Regency Centers Co. will post 4.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Regency Centers Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th will be paid a $0.705 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 12th. This represents a $2.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.94%. Regency Centers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 133.02%.

Insider Activity at Regency Centers

In other Regency Centers news, CFO Michael J. Mas sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.60, for a total value of $1,472,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 54,020 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,975,872. This represents a 27.02 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Chairman Martin E. Stein, Jr. sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.48, for a total transaction of $3,674,000.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 110,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,102,125.24. The trade was a 31.20 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 95,000 shares of company stock worth $6,977,500. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Regency Centers

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Regency Centers in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,262,425,000. State Street Corp raised its position in Regency Centers by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,768,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $857,892,000 after purchasing an additional 131,300 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Regency Centers by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 11,141,771 shares of the company’s stock worth $823,711,000 after purchasing an additional 51,424 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Regency Centers by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 10,440,384 shares of the company’s stock worth $771,859,000 after purchasing an additional 171,047 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Regency Centers by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 9,182,664 shares of the company’s stock valued at $678,873,000 after purchasing an additional 366,427 shares during the period. 96.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Regency Centers Company Profile

Regency Centers is a preeminent national owner, operator, and developer of shopping centers located in suburban trade areas with compelling demographics. Our portfolio includes thriving properties merchandised with highly productive grocers, restaurants, service providers, and best-in-class retailers that connect to their neighborhoods, communities, and customers.