Swiss National Bank Lowers Stock Position in Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG)

Swiss National Bank cut its position in shares of Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG) by 6.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 487,028 shares of the company’s stock after selling 32,700 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned 0.27% of Regency Centers worth $36,006,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in REG. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Regency Centers during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. National Pension Service acquired a new position in Regency Centers during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Regency Centers during the fourth quarter worth $54,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Regency Centers by 4,400.0% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 855 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 836 shares during the period. Finally, Quest Partners LLC raised its position in Regency Centers by 84.8% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 937 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 430 shares during the period. 96.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Regency Centers Price Performance

Regency Centers stock opened at $71.07 on Monday. Regency Centers Co. has a 12-month low of $56.51 and a 12-month high of $78.18. The stock has a market cap of $12.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.52, a PEG ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $72.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $73.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 27.54% and a return on equity of 5.91%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Regency Centers Co. will post 4.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Regency Centers Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced 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. This represents a $2.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 12th. Regency Centers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 133.02%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Regency Centers news, CEO Lisa Palmer sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 139,923 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,250,758.98. This trade represents a 15.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction 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 trade represents a 27.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 95,000 shares of company stock valued at $6,977,500 over the last 90 days. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on REG. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Regency Centers from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Regency Centers from $81.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. BTIG Research increased their target price 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. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their target price on shares of 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $78.08.

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.