Q1 EPS Forecast for Equity Residential Lowered by Analyst

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) – Research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Equity Residential in a note issued to investors on Monday, March 2nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the real estate investment trust will post earnings of $0.99 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $1.00. The consensus estimate for Equity Residential’s current full-year earnings is $3.98 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Equity Residential’s FY2027 earnings at $4.24 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.35 EPS.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.04 by ($0.01). Equity Residential had a return on equity of 9.98% and a net margin of 36.20%.The firm had revenue of $781.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $786.35 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.00 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equity Residential has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.940-0.980 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.020-4.140 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on EQR. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Equity Residential from $68.00 to $62.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Equity Residential from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Equity Residential from $75.00 to $73.50 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 13th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Equity Residential from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Equity Residential from $69.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Equity Residential presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.74.

Equity Residential Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Equity Residential stock opened at $62.78 on Tuesday. Equity Residential has a 1-year low of $58.38 and a 1-year high of $73.91. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $62.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.70 billion, a PE ratio of 21.43, a P/E/G ratio of 4.72 and a beta of 0.75.

Equity Residential Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.6925 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $2.77 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.4%. Equity Residential’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.54%.

Insider Activity at Equity Residential

In other Equity Residential news, EVP Catherine Carraway sold 656 shares of Equity Residential stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.13, for a total value of $42,725.28. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,339 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,194,419.07. The trade was a 3.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Michael L. Manelis sold 5,765 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.13, for a total transaction of $375,474.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 46,131 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,004,512.03. The trade was a 11.11% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,058 shares of company stock valued at $655,078. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equity Residential

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EQR. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Equity Residential by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,543 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $223,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton increased its position in Equity Residential by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 440 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in Equity Residential by 6.8% during the second quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 2,841 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $192,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in Equity Residential by 0.4% during the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 48,030 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,242,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional lifted its position in Equity Residential by 6.1% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 3,274 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $212,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.68% of the company’s stock.

Equity Residential News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Equity Residential this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial initiated/issued a Buy on EQR — a clear positive catalyst that can draw fresh buyer interest and supports sentiment around the REIT. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: BNP Paribas Exane raised its price target to $68 (from $66) but kept a Neutral rating — this increases implied upside (~8%) but stops short of an upgrade. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank nudged its target to $67 and kept a “sector perform” rating — a modest vote of confidence but not a strong bullish signal. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presented at Citi’s Miami Global Property CEO Conference; the transcript provides updated commentary on operations and strategy that investors can use to gauge leasing trends and capital allocation (no major surprises reported). Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage roundup published — broader analyst commentary on EQR and peer REITs that reiterates sector themes (pricing power in key coastal markets, demand/occupancy sensitivity). Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed near-term EPS estimates (Q1 FY2027 down to $0.99 from $1.00; FY2027 and FY2028 cuts were marginal). These small downgrades signal slightly weaker near-term earnings expectations and cap some upside until leasing/rents accelerate. (Source: Zacks research notes)

Equity Residential Company Profile

Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that acquires, develops, owns and operates rental apartment properties. Headquartered in Chicago, the company focuses on delivering professionally managed, market-rate apartment homes and related services to renters. Its operations cover a range of property types, including high-rise and mid-rise assets, with amenities and on-site management designed to support resident retention and occupancy.

The company’s core activities include property acquisitions, development and redevelopment, leasing, and day-to-day property management.