Here's Why it Is Wise to Hold Regency Centers Stock in Your Portfolio

Regency Centers Corp.’s REG focus on building a premium portfolio of grocery-anchored shopping centers, which are usually necessity-driven, along with the presence of leading grocers in its tenant roster, bodes well for stable revenue generation. Strategic buyouts and an encouraging development pipeline are also beneficial for long-term growth. A healthy balance sheet provides financial flexibility for portfolio expansion. However, growing e-commerce adoption and high debt burden raise concerns.

Last month, Regency Centers reported second-quarter 2025 NAREIT funds from operations (FFO) per share of $1.16, outpacing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12. The figure increased 9.4% from the prior-year quarter. Results reflected healthy leasing activity. It witnessed a year-over-year improvement in the same-property net operating income and base rents during the quarter.

Shares of REG have risen 0.6% in the past three months, outperforming the industry's 0.1% growth. Analysts seem bullish on this Jacksonville, FL-based Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 FFO per share indicates a favorable outlook, as it has moved upward by 1.1% over the past month to $4.59.

What's Aiding REG?

In the uncertain times, the grocery component has benefited retail REITs, and Regency has numerous industry-leading grocers such as Publix, Kroger, Albertsons Companies, TJX Companies, Inc. and Amazon/Whole Foods as tenants. Six of Regency’s top 10 tenants are high-performing grocers. The focus on necessity, service, convenience and value retailers serving the essential needs of the communities provides Regency with a strategic advantage.

REG’s premium shopping centers are situated in affluent suburban areas and near the urban trade areas where consumers have high spending power, enabling the company to attract top grocers and retailers. Anchor tenants comprised 42.3% (based on pro-rata ABR) of its portfolio as of June 30, 2025. Regency’s embedded rent escalators have also been a key driving factor behind its rent growth.

Regency is making efforts to improve its portfolio with acquisitions and developments in key markets. In July 2025, Regency Centers announced the buyout of a portfolio of five premier suburban shopping centers in Orange County, CA, for $357 million. As of June 30, 2025, Regency Centers’ in-process development and redevelopment projects have estimated net project costs of around $518 million at the company’s share.

Regency Centers is focused on strengthening its balance sheet. This retail REIT had $1.5 billion of capacity under its revolving credit facility and approximately $154.8 million of cash and equivalents, including restricted cash, as of June 30, 2025. As of the same date, its pro-rata net debt and preferred stock-to-operating EBITDAre ratio was 5.3, while the fixed charge coverage ratio was 4.2. As of June 30, 2025, 89.4% of its wholly owned real estate assets were unencumbered. With a high percentage of such assets, the company can enjoy access to the secured and unsecured debt markets and maintain availability on the line.

Solid dividend payouts are the biggest attraction for REIT investors, and Regency Centers is committed to boosting shareholder wealth. From 2014 to the fourth quarter of 2024, the company’s dividend witnessed a CAGR of 3.7%. In the last five years, REG has increased its dividend four times. Given the company’s solid operating platform, scope for growth and decent financial position compared to that of the industry, this dividend rate is expected to be sustainable over the long run. Check Regency Centers’ dividend history here.

What’s Hurting REG?

The market is witnessing a shift in retail shopping from brick-and-mortar stores to Internet sales.  This is expected to adversely impact the market share for brick-and-mortar stores like REG.

Despite the Federal Reserve announcing rate cuts late in 2024, the interest rate is still high and is a concern for Regency Centers. Interest expenses for the second quarter of 2025 jumped 16.4% year over year to $50.3 million. Moreover, as of June 30, 2025, Regency’s consolidated debt was approximately $4.80 billion.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Welltower WELL and Terreno Realty TRNO, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WELL’s 2025 FFO per share has been raised marginally over the past month to $5.06.

The consensus estimate for TRNO’s 2025 FFO per share has been revised upward marginally to $2.61 over the past month.

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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