Zacks Research Has Negative Estimate for EQR Q2 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Equity Residential to $1.00 from $1.02, signaling slightly weaker near-term earnings expectations. It also trimmed the full-year 2026 estimate to $4.06 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: the stock has an average rating of “Hold” with a consensus target price of $70.11, based on a mix of buy and hold ratings from multiple firms.
• Equity Residential recently missed Q1 results, reporting $0.24 EPS versus the $0.33 consensus, though revenue was roughly in line with estimates and the company reaffirmed its FY2026 and Q2 2026 guidance ranges.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Equity Residential in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, May 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the real estate investment trust will earn $1.00 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $1.02. The consensus estimate for Equity Residential's current full-year earnings is $4.09 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Equity Residential's Q4 2026 earnings at $1.04 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $4.06 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.00 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.04 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.09 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.08 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.08 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.43 EPS.

EQR has been the topic of a number of other reports. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Equity Residential from $78.50 to $78.25 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Equity Residential from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Piper Sandler set a $78.00 price objective on Equity Residential in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Equity Residential from $66.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Equity Residential from $64.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Equity Residential has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Equity Residential Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE EQR opened at $65.80 on Friday. Equity Residential has a 52 week low of $57.57 and a 52 week high of $70.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market cap of $24.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.32, a PEG ratio of 5.26 and a beta of 0.76. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $62.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.87.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.33 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $779.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $781.79 million. Equity Residential had a return on equity of 8.57% and a net margin of 30.63%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. 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.

Equity Residential Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 30th were given a $0.7025 dividend. This represents a $2.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.3%. This is a boost from Equity Residential's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 30th. Equity Residential's payout ratio is 112.40%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Equity Residential during the 4th quarter valued at $2,201,674,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in shares of Equity Residential by 876.0% in 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 buying an additional 4,039,752 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Equity Residential by 797.2% during 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 acquiring an additional 1,852,970 shares during the period. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its stake 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 valued at $129,647,000 after purchasing an additional 1,561,241 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.68% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Equity Residential

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

• Positive Sentiment: Equity Residential and AvalonBay agreed to merge in an all-stock deal that could create a major apartment REIT with expected synergies and greater scale, a development that may support the stock. AvalonBay, Equity Residential Merge To Create $50B Real-Estate Giant
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several forward EPS estimates for Equity Residential, including Q1 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, Q1 2028, and FY2028, signaling a somewhat improved earnings outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts also trimmed some near-term estimates, including FY2026, Q2 2026, Q2 2027, and Q4 2026 EPS, suggesting the near-term earnings picture is mixed.
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder law firms are investigating the merger terms, creating legal and deal-process overhang that could weigh on sentiment until more clarity emerges. HAREHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Announces An Investigation of Equity Residential NYSE: EQR

About Equity Residential

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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