Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) Stock Price Up 0.5% - Should You Buy?

Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG - Get Free Report) rose 0.5% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $71.10 and last traded at $70.75. Approximately 189,015 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 1,061,288 shares. The stock had previously closed at $70.41.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on REG shares. Mizuho raised their price target 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. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Regency Centers from $80.00 to $79.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Three research 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, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $78.00.

Regency Centers Trading Up 2.1 %

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 cap of $13.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.80, a P/E/G ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 1.03. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $72.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $72.65.

Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Regency Centers Co. will post 4.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Regency Centers Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a dividend of $0.705 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. This represents a $2.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.94%. Regency Centers's payout ratio is 133.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Regency Centers

In other Regency Centers news, Chairman Martin E. Stein, Jr. sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.48, for a total value of $3,674,000.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 110,263 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,102,125.24. This represents a 31.20 % 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, CEO Lisa Palmer sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 95,000 shares of company stock valued at $6,977,500. Insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Regency Centers

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in REG. MML Investors Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Regency Centers by 14.7% during the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 9,817 shares of the company's stock worth $709,000 after buying an additional 1,258 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its stake in Regency Centers by 26.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 9,817 shares of the company's stock worth $729,000 after acquiring an additional 2,042 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Regency Centers in the 3rd quarter valued at $782,000. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Regency Centers by 17.8% during the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 7,417 shares of the company's stock worth $536,000 after purchasing an additional 1,120 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Regency Centers by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 278,647 shares of the company's stock worth $19,703,000 after purchasing an additional 16,617 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.