Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

ESS has been the subject of several other research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Essex Property Trust in a research note on Friday, June 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Essex Property Trust from $262.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $296.00 price objective on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Essex Property Trust from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $275.00 to $310.00 in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Essex Property Trust to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Essex Property Trust currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $292.08.

Essex Property Trust Stock Down 0.2%

Essex Property Trust stock opened at $297.87 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $19.14 billion, a PE ratio of 33.47, a P/E/G ratio of 12.86 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $276.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $261.38. Essex Property Trust has a 1-year low of $238.46 and a 1-year high of $299.29.

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.96 by ($2.31). Essex Property Trust had a return on equity of 10.00% and a net margin of 30.03%.The business had revenue of $484.76 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $479.89 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.97 earnings per share. Essex Property Trust has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 3.920-4.040 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Essex Property Trust will post 16.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Essex Property Trust

In related news, Director Mary Kasaris sold 600 shares of the firm’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 owned 2,394 shares in the company, valued at $669,003.30. This trade represents a 20.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 3.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Nemes Rush Group LLC purchased a new position in Essex Property Trust in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in Essex Property Trust during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Essex Property Trust during the 1st quarter worth $38,000. Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Essex Property Trust in the 1st quarter worth $44,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in shares of Essex Property Trust by 120.0% in the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 176 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. 96.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.