Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) Trading Down 0.8% – Time to Sell?

Shares of Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG) dropped 0.8% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $70.90 and last traded at $70.87. Approximately 82,219 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 92% from the average daily volume of 1,000,249 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.42.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on REG. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Regency Centers from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. BTIG Research increased their price target on shares of Regency Centers from $72.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Regency Centers from $81.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their target price on Regency Centers from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $78.08.

Regency Centers Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $72.92 and a 200 day moving average of $73.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.98, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.61. Regency Centers had a net margin of 27.54% and a return on equity of 5.91%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Regency Centers Co. will post 4.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Regency Centers Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related 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 transaction of $1,472,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lisa Palmer sold 25,000 shares of Regency Centers stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.26, for a total transaction of $1,831,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 139,923 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,250,758.98. This trade represents a 15.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 95,000 shares of company stock valued at $6,977,500 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its position in Regency Centers by 104.1% during the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 20,038 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,442,000 after acquiring an additional 10,221 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position 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 acquired a new position in shares of Regency Centers during the third quarter worth $719,000. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 9,424 shares during the period. Finally, Royal London Asset Management Ltd. grew 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 valued at $7,615,000 after purchasing an additional 8,959 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

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.