MQS Management LLC Invests $1.55 Million in Equity Residential $EQR

Key Points

• MQS Management LLC opened a new position in Equity Residential during the fourth quarter, buying 24,549 shares worth about $1.55 million. The stake makes EQR its second-largest holding and roughly 0.9% of its portfolio.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 92.68% of Equity Residential shares held by institutions and hedge funds. Several other investors also added to or initiated positions in the REIT.
• Analysts are mixed on EQR: the stock carries a consensus Hold rating and an average target price of $70.11. The company also recently reported earnings below expectations, though it raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7025 per share.

MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 24,549 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $1,548,000. Equity Residential accounts for approximately 0.9% of MQS Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Equity Residential during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in shares of Equity Residential during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton grew its stake in shares of Equity Residential by 69.2% during the 4th quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 440 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Equity Residential during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Equity Residential by 434.7% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 540 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 439 shares during the period. 92.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on EQR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Equity Residential from $71.00 to $69.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of Equity Residential from $64.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Equity Residential from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $72.00 to $74.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Equity Residential from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Equity Residential in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Equity Residential currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.11.

Equity Residential Price Performance

Equity Residential stock opened at $66.30 on Friday. Equity Residential has a 52 week low of $57.57 and a 52 week high of $70.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $62.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $61.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.84 billion, a PE ratio of 26.52, a P/E/G ratio of 5.22 and a beta of 0.76.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.09). Equity Residential had a return on equity of 8.57% and a net margin of 30.63%.The business had revenue of $779.85 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $781.79 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. Equity Residential's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Equity Residential will post 4.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equity Residential Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 30th were issued a $0.7025 dividend. This is a positive change from Equity Residential's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 30th. This represents a $2.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.2%. Equity Residential's payout ratio is currently 112.40%.

More Equity Residential News

Here are the key news stories impacting Equity Residential this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Equity Residential’s merger with AvalonBay could improve scale, operating efficiency, and bargaining power across a portfolio of more than 180,000 rental apartments, supporting the investment case for the combined company. What the AvalonBay, Equity Residential megamerger means for the apartment industry and rents
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several forward earnings estimates for Equity Residential, including Q1 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, Q1 2028 and FY2028, signaling improved longer-term earnings expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: Some 2026 and Q2 2027 EPS estimates were trimmed slightly, suggesting near-term earnings expectations are not uniformly improving, even as longer-dated forecasts rise.
• Negative Sentiment: The merger has also drawn shareholder-rights investigations, which could add legal noise and uncertainty around whether EQR investors are receiving a fair price in the deal.

Equity Residential Profile

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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