Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) Raised to "Hold" at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) to “hold” in a recent research report, adding to a mixed analyst picture on the stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains centered around caution: the stock currently carries an average “Hold” rating, with a consensus price target of $71.40.
• Equity Residential recently missed quarterly EPS expectations with $0.24 per share versus the $0.33 estimate, though revenue rose 2.5% year over year and the company reaffirmed FY2026 guidance.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

EQR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wall Street Zen cut Equity Residential from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Equity Residential from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Nordea Equity Research raised shares of Equity Residential to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Equity Residential from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Equity Residential from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Equity Residential currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $71.40.

Equity Residential Trading Down 0.1%

EQR stock opened at $68.20 on Wednesday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $67.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Equity Residential has a 52-week low of $57.57 and a 52-week high of $71.50. The firm has a market cap of $25.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.28, a PEG ratio of 5.42 and a beta of 0.74.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $779.85 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $781.79 million. Equity Residential had a net margin of 30.63% and a return on equity of 8.57%. Equity Residential's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. Equity Residential has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.020-4.140 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.980-1.020 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Equity Residential will post 4.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equity Residential

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in Equity Residential in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Equity Residential in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its stake in Equity Residential by 375.2% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 480 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Equity Residential during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG grew its holdings in shares of Equity Residential by 48.8% during the first quarter. Leonteq Securities AG now owns 549 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.68% of the company's stock.

About Equity Residential

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.

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