Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) Shares Up 0.1% – Still a Buy?

Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG) shot up 0.1% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $72.50 and last traded at $72.18. 139,733 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 1,000,584 shares. The stock had previously closed at $72.08.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Regency Centers Trading Down 0.7 %

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $72.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $73.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.73, a PEG ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities analysts forecast 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 dividend of $0.705 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 12th. This represents a $2.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.94%. Regency Centers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 133.02%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman Martin E. Stein, Jr. sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chairman now directly owns 110,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,102,125.24. This trade represents a 31.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lisa Palmer sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.26, for a total value of $1,831,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 139,923 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,250,758.98. The trade was a 15.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 95,000 shares of company stock valued at $6,977,500. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Regency Centers

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Regency Centers by 104.1% in the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 20,038 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,442,000 after purchasing an additional 10,221 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Regency Centers by 196.1% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 36,245 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,680,000 after purchasing an additional 24,003 shares in the last quarter. Trustmark National Bank Trust Department purchased a new position in Regency Centers in the third quarter valued at $719,000. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in Regency Centers by 47.3% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 29,342 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,121,000 after buying an additional 9,424 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal London Asset Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in Regency Centers by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 105,433 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,615,000 after buying an additional 8,959 shares during the last quarter. 96.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.