Amundi Buys 66,517 Shares of Essex Property Trust, Inc. $ESS

Amundi boosted its stake in Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS - Free Report) by 38.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 238,761 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 66,517 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned about 0.37% of Essex Property Trust worth $57,780,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Essex Property Trust by 31.2% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 265 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 6.3% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 112,166 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $27,144,000 after buying an additional 6,605 shares during the period. Rush Island Management LP grew its holdings in shares of Essex Property Trust by 26.8% during the first quarter. Rush Island Management LP now owns 807,893 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $195,510,000 after buying an additional 170,682 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of Essex Property Trust by 50.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,095 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $507,000 after buying an additional 699 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its position in Essex Property Trust by 42.6% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 381,042 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $92,212,000 after buying an additional 113,861 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Essex Property Trust

In other Essex Property Trust news, Director Mary Kasaris sold 600 shares of the company'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 value of $167,670.00. Following the sale, the director owned 2,394 shares in the company, valued at $669,003.30. This represents a 20.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 3.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Essex Property Trust

Here are the key news stories impacting Essex Property Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Essex raised the midpoint of its full-year 2026 core funds from operations (FFO) outlook by $0.20 and forecast third-quarter core FFO of $3.99. The higher outlook reflects resilient rental demand and better-than-expected property performance. Essex raises full-year core FFO midpoint
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter FFO exceeded analysts’ expectations as same-property net operating income and revenue increased. Northern California was the standout market, helping support the company’s raised 2026 view. ESS Q2 FFO beats estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Citizens JMP upgraded ESS from “market perform” to “outperform” and assigned a $330 price target, while RBC raised its target from $306 to $312 and maintained an “outperform” rating. The upgrades indicate improving analyst confidence after the earnings report. Essex upgraded at Citizens RBC raises Essex price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Management highlighted a regional divide: Northern California rent growth remains strong, but conditions are less uniform across Essex’s other markets. This creates some uncertainty around the pace and breadth of future growth. Essex Property Trust ups guidance amid regional divide

Essex Property Trust Stock Up 0.2%

Essex Property Trust stock opened at $284.68 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company's 50-day moving average is $286.95 and its 200-day moving average is $266.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.29 billion, a PE ratio of 44.27, a P/E/G ratio of 12.23 and a beta of 0.69. Essex Property Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $238.46 and a fifty-two week high of $303.35.

Essex Property Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a dividend of $2.59 per share. This represents a $10.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. Essex Property Trust's payout ratio is 161.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on ESS shares. UBS Group set a $290.00 target price on Essex Property Trust in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $330.00 price target on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Essex Property Trust to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Citizens Jmp raised shares of Essex Property Trust from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Essex Property Trust from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $304.69.

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.

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