Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) Trading Down 1.3% – Time to Sell?

Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG) shares traded down 1.3% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $70.05 and last traded at $71.12. 646,977 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 39% from the average session volume of 1,054,101 shares. The stock had previously closed at $72.09.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on REG. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Regency Centers from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on 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 target price on shares of Regency Centers from $80.00 to $79.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $78.00.

Regency Centers Trading Down 4.6 %

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $73.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $72.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a market capitalization of $12.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.44, a P/E/G ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 1.03.

Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 anticipate that Regency Centers Co. will post 4.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Regency Centers Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a $0.705 dividend. This represents a $2.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.10%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Regency Centers’s payout ratio is currently 133.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Michael J. Mas sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.60, for a total value of $1,472,000.00. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Martin E. Stein, Jr. sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.48, for a total value of $3,674,000.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 95,000 shares of company stock worth $6,977,500 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Regency Centers

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Regency Centers during the 4th quarter worth about $1,262,425,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Regency Centers by 121.2% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,374,450 shares of the company’s stock valued at $397,333,000 after acquiring an additional 2,944,854 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in Regency Centers by 64.1% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,781,614 shares of the company’s stock valued at $205,645,000 after acquiring an additional 1,086,797 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Regency Centers by 51.7% in the fourth quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 2,155,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,363,000 after acquiring an additional 734,210 shares during the period. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in Regency Centers by 137.2% in the 4th quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 776,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,408,000 after purchasing an additional 449,110 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

About Regency Centers

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.