Is it Wise to Hold Regency Centers Stock in Your Portfolio?

Regency Centers Corp. REG is well-positioned to gain from its strategically located portfolio of premium shopping centers, concentrated in affluent suburban areas and near urban trade areas where consumers have high spending power.Its focus on grocery-anchored shopping centers ensures dependable traffic. Strategic buyouts and an encouraging development pipeline bode well for long-term growth.However, growing e-commerce adoption raises concerns. A high debt burden and geographic concentration of assets in select markets add to its woes.What's Aiding REG?Regency’s premium shopping centers’ strategic location enables the company to attract top grocers and retailers. Furthermore, the best-in-class operators are opening new locations in REG’s high-quality centers. Anchor tenants comprised 42.3% (based on pro-rata ABR) of its portfolio as of June 30, 2025.Moreover, Regency has a high-quality open-air shopping center portfolio, with more than 85% grocery-anchored neighborhood and community centers. This focus on building a premium portfolio of grocery-anchored shopping centers is a strategic fit because such centers are usually necessity-driven and attract dependable traffic. Regency has numerous industry-leading grocers such as Publix, Kroger KR, Albertsons Companies, TJX Companies, Inc. TJX and Amazon/Whole Foods as tenants. Six of Regency’s top 10 tenants are high-performing grocers.REG 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. The company is also disposing of non-core assets and using the proceeds to buy value-accretive investments. Following the second quarter end, REG disposed of 101 7th Avenue in New York, NY, for $11 million. Given the company’s prudent financial management, it is well-positioned to explore growth opportunities.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. This retail REIT has steadily grown dividends per share since 2014 and maintained dividend payments through the pandemic. From 2014 to the fourth quarter of 2024, the company’s dividend witnessed a CAGR of 3.7%. Given REG’s solid operating platform, scope for growth and decent financial position compared to 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.Further, a large part of its portfolio is concentrated in select markets of California and Florida. As of June 30, 2025, the company’s properties in California and Florida accounted for 23.1% and 20.5%, respectively, of its annual base rents. Thus, the geographic concentration of Regency’s properties exposes it to risks related to the supply of or demand for retail space, market saturation, the migration trend of businesses and residents, as well as climatic threats.A high debt burden adds to the company’s woes. As of June 30, 2025, Regency’s consolidated debt was approximately $4.80 billion. Moreover, interest expenses for the second quarter of 2025 jumped 16.4% year over year to $50.3 million.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.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX): Free Stock Analysis Report The Kroger Co. (KR): Free Stock Analysis Report Regency Centers Corporation (REG): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks