Essex Property Trust

Baron Real Estate Income Fund said it raised its stake in Essex Property Trust, citing early signs of improving multifamily fundamentals driven by a favorable supply/demand backdrop, rental affordability versus for-sale housing, and strong rent-to-income ratios. The fund expects multi-year recovery potential, attractive public valuations, and growth in laggard markets like San Francisco to support performance. Essex shares recently traded near $271 with a market cap around $18.7 billion. » More on finance.yahoo.com

Essex Property Trust reported stronger profitability and cash generation in FY2025 with $1.9 billion revenue, $669.7 million net income and higher free cash flow, and it has a longer record of dividend growth. Essex trades at a valuation premium to American Homes 4 Rent and uses more leverage (debt-to-equity ~1.2x vs 0.7x), but shows higher core FFO per share and a larger forward dividend. American Homes 4 Rent offers scale in single-family rentals across the Sunbelt and Midwest but faces geographic concentration and potential regulatory risks. Considering dividend durability, FFO strength and long-term income growth, Essex is judged the preferable buy for 2026. » More on finance.yahoo.com

At the annual meeting of shareholders, Essex Property Trust shareholders elected nine directors to terms expiring in 2027 and ratified KPMG as the independent auditor for fiscal year 2026. In a non-binding, advisory vote, the named executives' compensation was approved. As of the record date, 64,477,129 common shares were entitled to vote; there were 1,790,315 broker non-votes. » More on de.investing.com