Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS)

Investors interested in stocks from the REIT and Equity Trust - Residential sector have probably already heard of Safehold (SAFE) and Essex Property Trust (ESS). But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now?

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Essex Property Trust has underperformed due to weak rent trends, but its West Coast focus offers relative resilience versus Sun Belt peers. Recent earnings showed solid FFO and NOI growth, with Northern California and Seattle outperforming, though management is cautious on H2 rent growth. Guidance was raised at the midpoint but lowered at the high end, reflecting a solid first half but a more tepid outlook for the rest of 2024.

Investing in real estate is a great way to make passive income. While you could buy a rental property, a more passive and lower-cost option is to invest in a real estate investment trust (REIT).

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U.S. equity markets climbed to fresh record highs this week despite a jump in producer prices, but consumer inflation remained "cool enough" to keep the Fed on-course for September rate cuts. Despite the inflation uptick in July, all three major CPI and PPI metrics remained below the annualized levels seen in January preceding the initial wave of tariffs. Ahead of the Chair Powell's "farewell tour" in Jackson Hole, the inevitability of significantly easier monetary policy by mid-2026 - at the latest- has fully taken hold in recent weeks.

ESS' West Coast strength and tech-driven efficiencies support growth, but high supply and debt weigh on momentum.

A surprising solid REIT earnings season wrapped up this week. Of the 100 equity REITs that provide full-year FFO guidance, 62% raised their outlook - above the historical 55% average. Disinflation was a surprisingly common thread across second-quarter results, with the majority of the upside revisions being driven by improved expense expectations - the highest quantity of expense reductions ever. Healthcare REITs were notable upside standouts as senior housing fundamentals remained stellar, while skilled nursing REITs received some good news on the policy front via healthy CMS Medicare rate increases.

Essex Property Trust (ESS -7.64%), a residential real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on West Coast apartment communities, released its second-quarter 2025 results on July 29, 2025. The company reported Core Funds From Operations (FFO) per diluted share of $4.03, surpassing its own $3.96 midpoint forecast.

Essex Property Trust, Inc. Q2 2025 Earnings Conference Call July 30, 2025 12:00 PM ET Company Participants Angela L. Kleiman - President, CEO & Director Barbara M.

ESS' second-quarter results reflect a year-over-year rise in same-property revenues and net operating income.

ESS tops Q2 estimates with higher core FFO and revenues and lifts full-year 2025 outlook amid solid same-property growth.

Although the revenue and EPS for Essex Property Trust (ESS) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended June 2025, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and the year-ago numbers.

Essex Property Trust (ESS) came out with quarterly funds from operations (FFO) of $4.03 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.99 per share. This compares to FFO of $3.94 per share a year ago.

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESS) (the “Company”) announced today its second quarter 2025 earnings results and related business activities. Net Income, Funds from Operations (“FFO”), and Core FFO per diluted share for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2025 are detailed below.   Three Months Ended June 30,   Six Months Ended June 30,     % %   2025 2024 Change 2025 2024 Change Per Diluted Share             Net Income $3.44 $1.45 137.2% $6.59.