Compare Crown Castle International Corp (CCI) vs Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Crown Castle International Corp vs Essex Property Trust, Inc. — how do they compare? Crown Castle International Corp trades at $73.76 (market cap $31.32B), while Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B). The key difference: Crown Castle International Corp is the larger of the two by market cap, and Crown Castle International Corp pays the higher dividend (5.77%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CCI | ESS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $31.32B | $18.20B |
Sector | Real Estate | Real Estate |
52-Week High | $103.79 | $298.33 |
52-Week Low | $73.61 | $239.61 |
Enterprise Value | $53.68B | $24.80B |
Dividend Yield | 5.77% | 3.66% |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Crown Castle (CCI) trades at $75.59, up 0.89% on the day, but technical indicators signal a bearish trend with the stock near recent lows. The company reported mixed quarterly earnings, beating in Q2 2026 but missing in Q1, while revenue has declined from $7.0B in 2023 to $4.26B in 2025. Analyst consensus is split evenly between Buy and Hold with a $95.29 price target, suggesting potential upside. Recent news highlights strategic shifts, including the sale of its fiber business and a focus on U.S. tower operations.
The outlook for CCI hinges on execution of its pure-play tower strategy amid high debt levels and competitive pressures. Investment appeal lies in its 5.5% dividend yield and discounted valuation, but risks include declining revenue, negative shareholder equity, and sensitivity to interest rates. Wall Street sees value if operational improvements materialize.
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.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
About Crown Castle International Corp
Crown Castle International owns and leases roughly 40,000 cell towers in the United States. It also owns more than 85,000 route miles of fiber. It leases space on its towers to wireless service providers, which install equipment on the towers to support their wireless networks. The company's fiber is primarily leased by wireless service providers to set up small-cell network infrastructure and by enterprises for their internal connection needs. Crown Castle's towers and fiber are predominantly located in the largest U.S. cities. The company has a very concentrated customer base, with more than 70% of its revenue coming from the big three U.S. mobile carriers. Crown Castle operates as a real estate investment trust.
Read more on CCI →About Essex Property Trust, Inc.
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 →
