Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) Reaches New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS)’s share price hit a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $239.24 and last traded at $240.2390, with a volume of 167521 shares. The stock had previously closed at $243.71.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ESS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Essex Property Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Essex Property Trust from $292.00 to $271.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 6th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Essex Property Trust from $283.00 to $273.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $290.00 price objective on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $282.00.

Essex Property Trust Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $15.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.53 and a beta of 0.73. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $252.42 and its 200-day moving average is $257.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $3.98 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.00 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $479.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $474.66 million. Essex Property Trust had a net margin of 35.48% and a return on equity of 11.61%. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.92 earnings per share. Essex Property Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 15.690-16.190 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 3.890-4.010 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Essex Property Trust, Inc. will post 15.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Essex Property Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $2.59 per share. This represents a $10.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. This is a boost from Essex Property Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.57. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Essex Property Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 98.75%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essex Property Trust

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESS. Nemes Rush Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Essex Property Trust in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in shares of Essex Property Trust during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 57.5% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 115 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in shares of Essex Property Trust by 120.0% in the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 176 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essex Property Trust in the second quarter valued at $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.51% of the company’s stock.

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.