Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) Updates Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Essex Property Trust guided for Q3 2026 EPS of $3.930–$4.050, compared with the $3.980 analyst consensus, and set full-year 2026 EPS guidance at $16.030–$16.250.
• The stock rose to $296.45 in midday trading, near its 52-week high of $303.35. Essex also pays a quarterly dividend of $2.59 per share, equivalent to a 3.5% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a MarketBeat consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $299.08; recent targets range as high as $352.

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS - Get Free Report) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 3.930-4.050 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 3.980. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Essex Property Trust also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 16.030-16.250 EPS.

Essex Property Trust Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESS traded up $1.93 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $296.45. The company had a trading volume of 466,009 shares, compared to its average volume of 510,455. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $286.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $265.58. The stock has a market cap of $19.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.53 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. Essex Property Trust has a twelve month low of $238.46 and a twelve month high of $303.35.

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $4.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.46 by $2.62. Essex Property Trust had a return on equity of 10.00% and a net margin of 30.03%.Essex Property Trust has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.930-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 16.030-16.250 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Essex Property Trust will post 16.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Essex Property Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $2.59 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $10.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Essex Property Trust's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 116.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ESS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Essex Property Trust from $310.00 to $352.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Essex Property Trust from $273.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Essex Property Trust from $285.00 to $308.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised shares of Essex Property Trust from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Essex Property Trust has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $299.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Essex Property Trust news, Director Mary Kasaris sold 600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.45, for a total value of $167,670.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,394 shares in the company, valued at $669,003.30. The trade was a 20.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 3.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Essex Property Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at about $51,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Essex Property Trust in the second quarter valued at approximately $54,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Essex Property Trust by 70.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 279 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA increased its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 60.5% in the 3rd quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 345 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $92,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Essex Property Trust by 312.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 466 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $122,000 after purchasing an additional 353 shares in the last quarter. 96.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.