Bath & Body Works Inc vs Essex Property Trust, Inc. — how do they compare? Bath & Body Works Inc trades at $18.95 (market cap $3.89B), while Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B). The key difference: Essex Property Trust, Inc. is far larger — about 4.7× Bath & Body Works Inc's market cap, and Bath & Body Works Inc pays the higher dividend (4.14%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BBWI | ESS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.89B | $18.20B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Real Estate |
52-Week High | $31.87 | $298.33 |
52-Week Low | $14.85 | $239.61 |
Enterprise Value | $7.79B | $24.80B |
Dividend Yield | 4.14% | 3.66% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BBWI trades at $20.36, up 1.09% daily, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including a low P/E of 5.78 and net income margin of 10.03%. Recent earnings show mixed beats, while cash flow trends improved in 2026 forecasts. The company expands globally via Ulta Beauty partnerships and Brazil entry, supporting growth narratives amid revenue declines from $7.9B in 2022 to $7.3B in 2025.
Outlook balances deep value with execution risks; analyst consensus price target of $22.11 implies upside, but high debt and revenue pressures require monitoring turnaround initiatives. Opportunities lie in margin strength and expansion, while risks include competitive retail headwinds and liability management.
ESS trades at $288.1, up 1.05% daily, with a neutral technical signal and support near $284. The stock shows strong profitability with a 21.48% net margin and recent Q2 2026 earnings miss on EPS but beat on FFO, leading to raised full-year guidance. Revenue growth is steady, reaching $1.89B in 2025, though net income declined to $670M from $742M in 2024.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic with a consensus price target of $305.86, implying ~6% upside. Risks include high debt levels (debt-to-asset ratio of 51.92% in 2024) and regional economic exposure. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 40% buy ratings, but institutional interest grew with Amundi increasing its stake in Q1 2026.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Bath & Body Works is a specialty home fragrance and fragrant body care retailer operating under the Bath & Body Works, C.O. Bigelow, and White Barn brands. The company generates most of its business in North America, with less than 5% of sales from international markets in fiscal 2021. For fiscal 2021, 72% of sales stemmed from the brick-and-mortar network (which is composed of more than 1,700 retail stores), up from 65% in 2020, as consumer shopping patterns began to return to normal. Future growth is expected from store reformatting, digital and international channels, as well as new category expansion.
Read more on BBWI →Essex Property Trust owns a portfolio of 253 apartment communities with over 62,000 units and is developing three additional properties with 571 units. The company focuses on owning large, high-quality properties on the West Coast in the urban and suburban submarkets of Southern California, Northern California, and Seattle.
Read more on ESS →