Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Purchases Shares of 435,690 Regency Centers Corporation (NASDAQ:REG)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has acquired a new stake in Regency Centers Corporation worth approximately $32.1 million, representing 0.24% of the company's shares.
• Several institutional investors, including Price T Rowe Associates and Invesco Ltd., have substantially increased their holdings in Regency Centers, indicating strong institutional interest with hedge funds owning 96.07% of the stock.
• Regency Centers reported a quarterly earnings per share of $1.16, beating estimates, along with a recently declared dividend of $0.705 per share, yielding 3.9% annually.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Regency Centers Corporation (NASDAQ:REG - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 435,690 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,136,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned 0.24% of Regency Centers at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of REG. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new position in Regency Centers during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Regency Centers during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its position in Regency Centers by 48,700.0% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 488 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 487 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Regency Centers during the 1st quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan purchased a new position in Regency Centers during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. 96.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Regency Centers Stock Performance

Shares of REG stock traded down $0.92 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $70.48. The company had a trading volume of 1,141,645 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,067,626. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $70.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $71.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market cap of $12.79 billion, a PE ratio of 32.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.05. Regency Centers Corporation has a one year low of $63.44 and a one year high of $78.18.

Regency Centers (NASDAQ:REG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $369.85 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $366.35 million. Regency Centers had a net margin of 27.00% and a return on equity of 6.05%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.06 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Regency Centers Corporation will post 4.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Regency Centers Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 11th were given a dividend of $0.705 per share. This represents a $2.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 11th. Regency Centers's payout ratio is 131.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on REG shares. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Regency Centers from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of Regency Centers from $76.00 to $75.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Regency Centers from $79.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays started coverage on shares of Regency Centers in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $77.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Regency Centers from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $77.92.

Insider Transactions at Regency Centers

In related news, insider Nicholas Andrew Wibbenmeyer sold 4,158 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.44, for a total transaction of $301,205.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 33,069 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,395,518.36. The trade was a 11.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.00% 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.