Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 16.030-16.250 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 16.110. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Essex Property Trust also updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 3.930-4.050 EPS.

Essex Property Trust Stock Up 0.7%

Essex Property Trust stock traded up $1.93 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $296.45. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 466,009 shares, compared to its average volume of 510,455. The company has a market capitalization of $19.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.53 and a beta of 0.70. Essex Property Trust has a 12 month low of $238.46 and a 12 month high of $303.35. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $286.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $265.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 0.98.

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $4.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $2.62. Essex Property Trust had a net margin of 30.03% and a return on equity of 10.00%. Essex Property Trust has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.930-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 16.030-16.250 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Essex Property Trust will post 16.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Essex Property Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $2.59 per share. This represents a $10.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. Essex Property Trust’s dividend payout ratio is presently 116.40%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Scotiabank increased their price target on Essex Property Trust from $290.00 to $307.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Essex Property Trust from $293.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Essex Property Trust from $290.00 to $291.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Essex Property Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 4th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Essex Property Trust from $273.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $299.08.

Insider Buying and Selling at Essex Property Trust

In related news, Director Mary Kasaris sold 600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $279.45, for a total transaction of $167,670.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $669,003.30. The trade was a 20.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.47% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essex Property Trust

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 973.0% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 743,954 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $199,127,000 after acquiring an additional 674,617 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in Essex Property Trust by 31.3% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 958,090 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $250,714,000 after purchasing an additional 228,165 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Essex Property Trust by 3,497.4% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 126,196 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $33,023,000 after buying an additional 122,688 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in Essex Property Trust by 1,374.8% during the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 128,880 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $33,725,000 after buying an additional 120,141 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its holdings in Essex Property Trust by 9.5% in the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 1,157,617 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $309,848,000 after buying an additional 100,730 shares during the period. 96.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Essex Property Trust

Essex Property Trust, Inc (NYSE: ESS) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that acquires, develops, owns and operates multifamily residential properties. The company focuses on market-rate apartment communities and delivers a full suite of property services including leasing, resident services, asset management, and capital improvement programs designed to preserve and enhance long?term property values.

Essex concentrates its portfolio in West Coast markets, with a significant presence in California and the Pacific Northwest.