Valued at a market cap of $16.1 billion, Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) is a leading residential real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, develops, redevelops, and manages apartment communities across high-demand West Coast markets in the United States. The California-based company generates revenue primarily through rental income from apartment properties and also benefits from property development and redevelopment projects.
Companies with a market cap of $10 billion or more are typically referred to as “large-cap stocks,” and ESS fits right into that category.
The stock touched its 52-week high of $294.09 on July 23, 2025, and is currently trading 6.7% below that peak. ESS stock has surged 9.3% over the past three months, underperforming the broader Nasdaq Composite’s ($NASX) 15.8% rise over the same time frame.
The stock has declined 3.2% over the past 52 weeks and gained 4.9% on a YTD basis, while NASX delivered 33.3% returns over the past year and 12% rise in 2026.
ESS has been trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since April, indicating an uptrend.
On May 14, ESS announced a regular quarterly cash dividend of $2.59 per common share, which will be paid on July 15, 2026, to shareholders of record as of June 30, 2026.
When stacked against its peer, Equity Residential (EQR) has declined 6% over the past year, underperforming ESS stock.
Among the 26 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Hold.” Its mean price target of $285.52 suggests a 4.1% upside potential from current price levels.
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