Merit Financial Group LLC Takes Position in Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG)

Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Regency Centers Co. (NASDAQ:REG) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 3,014 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $223,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of REG. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Regency Centers by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,768,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $857,892,000 after buying an additional 131,300 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Regency Centers by 4.1% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 11,090,347 shares of the company’s stock valued at $801,056,000 after purchasing an additional 435,932 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Regency Centers by 3.2% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,312,535 shares of the company’s stock worth $167,034,000 after purchasing an additional 71,278 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Regency Centers by 1,138.5% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,075,753 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,932,000 after buying an additional 1,908,153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Waterfront Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Regency Centers in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,628,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

Regency Centers Trading Up 1.0 %

NASDAQ REG opened at $71.77 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $73.30 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $71.71. Regency Centers Co. has a twelve month low of $56.51 and a twelve month high of $76.53. The company has a market capitalization of $13.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.69, a PEG ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.22.

Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.04 by ($0.50). The firm had revenue of $360.27 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $355.17 million. Regency Centers had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 5.85%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.02 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Regency Centers Co. will post 4.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Regency Centers Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were paid a dividend of $0.705 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 16th. This is an increase from Regency Centers’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.93%. Regency Centers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 132.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on REG shares. Mizuho increased their target price on Regency Centers from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Regency Centers from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Regency Centers from $71.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. KeyCorp assumed coverage on shares of Regency Centers in a report on Friday, October 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $80.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Regency Centers from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 24th. Three 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $78.00.

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.