Box Inc vs Essex Property Trust, Inc. — how do they compare? Box Inc trades at $32.86 (market cap $4.65B), while Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B). The key difference: Essex Property Trust, Inc. is far larger — about 3.9× Box Inc's market cap, and Essex Property Trust, Inc. pays a 3.66% dividend while Box Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BOX | ESS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $4.65B | $18.20B |
Sector | Technology | Real Estate |
52-Week High | $33.60 | $298.33 |
52-Week Low | $21.37 | $239.61 |
Enterprise Value | $5.21B | $24.80B |
Dividend Yield | — | 3.66% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BOX Inc. (NYSE: BOX) trades at $33.24, up 4.36% today, showing strong momentum near resistance levels. The company delivered solid Q1 2026 earnings beat with EPS of $0.37 versus $0.36 expected, continuing positive earnings surprises. Revenue growth accelerated to $1.09 billion in 2025 with net income margin expanding to 22.43%. Technical indicators show bullish momentum with the stock trading above key support levels and moving averages signaling strength.
BOX presents growth potential with strong revenue expansion and improving profitability, supported by recent enterprise contract wins like Quintas Energy's AI platform selection. However, elevated P/E ratio of 51.94 suggests premium valuation, while negative equity and high debt levels warrant monitoring. Analyst consensus remains bullish with $37 price target, representing 11% upside from current levels.
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
Box is a cloud-based content services platform that provides cloud-based storage and workflow collaboration services for enterprise customers. The firm was founded in 2005 as a file sync and sharing provider. More recently, however, the company has focused on bolstering its product portfolio by adding tools such as governance and e-signature that enhance workflow management and collaboration.
Read more on BOX →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 →