April 28 (Reuters) - Regency Centers ( REG ) maintained

its Nareit annual funds from operations (FFO) forecast on

Wednesday, betting on resilient leasing demand at its

grocery-anchored shopping centers.

Sustained demand for retail space has aided commercial REITs

like Regency Centers ( REG ), supporting leasing volumes, occupancy

rates and rental growth.

* The company's portfolio of premium shopping centers is

concentrated in affluent localities where consumers have high

spending power despite macroeconomic uncertainties.

* For the first quarter ended March 31, the company reported

FFO of $1.20, in line with analysts' estimates, according to

data compiled by LSEG.

* Regency maintained annual National Association of Real

Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit) FFO per share between $4.83

and $4.87

* It also kept its annual core operating earnings per

diluted share to range between $4.59 and $4.63.