Quilter Plc Purchases 16,515 Shares of Essex Property Trust, Inc. $ESS

Quilter Plc lifted its position in Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) by 187.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,314 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after buying an additional 16,515 shares during the period. Quilter Plc’s holdings in Essex Property Trust were worth $6,624,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Essex Property Trust by 57.5% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 115 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of Essex Property Trust by 120.0% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 176 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in shares of Essex Property Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $48,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Essex Property Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Essex Property Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at about $51,000. Institutional investors own 96.51% of the company’s stock.

Essex Property Trust Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:ESS opened at $247.45 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $251.31 and a 200 day moving average of $256.25. The company has a market cap of $15.96 billion, a PE ratio of 23.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.77 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Essex Property Trust, Inc. has a 12-month low of $238.46 and a 12-month high of $307.00.

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $3.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.00 by ($0.02). Essex Property Trust had a return on equity of 11.61% and a net margin of 35.48%.The firm had revenue of $479.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $474.66 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.92 earnings per share. Essex Property Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 15.690-16.190 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 3.890-4.010 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Essex Property Trust, Inc. will post 15.96 EPS for the current year.

Essex Property Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $2.59 dividend. This represents a $10.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. This is a boost from Essex Property Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.57. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Essex Property Trust’s dividend payout ratio is currently 99.52%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ESS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Essex Property Trust from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Essex Property Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of Essex Property Trust from $283.00 to $273.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $290.00 price objective on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Essex Property Trust from $267.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $282.00.

Essex Property Trust 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.