Hsbc Holdings PLC Grows Stock Holdings in Essex Property Trust, Inc. $ESS

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC increased its stake in Essex Property Trust by 3.2% in the first quarter, owning 219,383 shares valued at about $53.1 million. Institutional investors still hold a very large share of the company, with 96.51% ownership overall.
• Essex Property Trust reported Q1 earnings of $1.65 per share, missing analyst expectations of $3.96, even though revenue came in slightly above estimates at $484.76 million. The company guided Q2 2026 EPS to a range of 3.920-4.040.
• The REIT paid a quarterly dividend of $2.59 per share, equal to an annualized yield of 3.5%, while several analysts raised ratings or price targets. The stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $295.97.

Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS - Free Report) by 3.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 219,383 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after acquiring an additional 6,764 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned 0.34% of Essex Property Trust worth $53,110,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Essex Property Trust by 26.2% during the 1st quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,080 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $503,000 after purchasing an additional 432 shares during the period. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Essex Property Trust by 5.3% in the 1st quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 46,497 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $11,275,000 after buying an additional 2,348 shares during the period. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Essex Property Trust in the first quarter worth about $92,000. Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA boosted its stake in shares of Essex Property Trust by 33.5% in the first quarter. Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA now owns 4,372 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,058,000 after buying an additional 1,098 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Praxis Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Essex Property Trust during the first quarter worth about $256,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.51% of the company's stock.

Essex Property Trust Price Performance

Shares of Essex Property Trust stock opened at $293.76 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Essex Property Trust, Inc. has a twelve month low of $238.46 and a twelve month high of $303.35. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $283.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $264.05. The firm has a market cap of $18.88 billion, a PE ratio of 33.01, a P/E/G ratio of 12.63 and a beta of 0.70.

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 analysts' expectations of $479.89 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.97 EPS. Essex Property Trust has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 3.920-4.040 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Essex Property Trust, Inc. will post 16.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Essex Property Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $2.59 per share. This represents a $10.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. Essex Property Trust's dividend payout ratio is presently 116.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ESS has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Essex Property Trust from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Essex Property Trust from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Essex Property Trust from $285.00 to $308.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Essex Property Trust from $290.00 to $307.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Essex Property Trust from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $275.00 to $310.00 in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Essex Property Trust currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $295.97.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mary Kasaris sold 600 shares of Essex Property Trust 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 sale, the director owned 2,394 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $669,003.30. This trade represents a 20.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.47% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Essex Property Trust Company Profile

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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