Research Analysts Offer Predictions for EQR FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research slightly raised Equity Residential’s FY2026 EPS forecast to $4.07 from $4.06, close to the $4.08 consensus estimate, indicating a largely unchanged earnings outlook.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus “Hold” rating and a $71.40 price target; the stock recently opened at $65.96 and is up 2.4%.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.68% of EQR, while the company’s quarterly dividend of $0.7025 implies a 4.3% annualized yield, though its payout ratio is elevated at 122.17%.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research boosted their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Equity Residential in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, August 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the real estate investment trust will post earnings per share of $4.07 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $4.06. The consensus estimate for Equity Residential's current full-year earnings is $4.08 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Equity Residential's Q3 2027 earnings at $1.07 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.06 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.40 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Equity Residential from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Equity Residential from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. BNP Paribas Exane raised their price target on Equity Residential from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Equity Residential from $71.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Evercore boosted their price target on shares of Equity Residential from $70.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $71.40.

Equity Residential Stock Up 2.4%

EQR stock opened at $65.96 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $24.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.68, a PEG ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 0.73. Equity Residential has a 12-month low of $57.57 and a 12-month high of $71.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a 50 day moving average of $67.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $64.49.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Equity Residential in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,201,674,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. increased its position in Equity Residential by 227.7% in the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 7,405,502 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $466,869,000 after acquiring an additional 5,145,442 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Equity Residential by 876.0% during the third quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,500,885 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $291,342,000 after purchasing an additional 4,039,752 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Equity Residential by 797.2% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,085,406 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $134,988,000 after purchasing an additional 1,852,970 shares during the period. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its holdings in Equity Residential by 353.5% during the 3rd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 2,002,892 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $129,647,000 after buying an additional 1,561,241 shares during the period. 92.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Equity Residential Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 29th were paid a $0.7025 dividend. This represents a $2.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 29th. Equity Residential's payout ratio is 122.17%.

More Equity Residential News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders approved the proposed AvalonBay–Equity Residential merger, removing a key transaction milestone and potentially advancing the combination of the two multifamily REITs. AvalonBay, Equity Residential merger approved by shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research modestly raised its Equity Residential forecasts for FY2026 EPS to $4.07 from $4.06, Q1 2027 EPS to $1.02 from $1.00, Q4 2027 EPS to $1.09 from $1.08, and FY2027 EPS to $4.21 from $4.20. These increases suggest limited near- to medium-term earnings improvement.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ current full-year consensus estimate remains $4.08 per share, close to its revised FY2026 forecast. The small size of the estimate changes indicates that analysts are not making a major adjustment to Equity Residential’s operating outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its estimates for Q3 2026 EPS to $1.02 from $1.03, Q2 2027 EPS to $1.03 from $1.04, Q3 2027 EPS to $1.07 from $1.09, Q1 2028 EPS to $1.06 from $1.08, and FY2028 EPS to $4.40 from $4.43. The downward revisions to several later periods could weigh on the stock by signaling somewhat softer long-term earnings expectations.

Equity Residential Company 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.

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source