CDW Corp. vs Essex Property Trust, Inc. — how do they compare? CDW Corp. trades at $135.37 (market cap $17.06B), while Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B). The key difference: CDW Corp. and Essex Property Trust, Inc. are close in size by market cap, and Essex Property Trust, Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.66%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CDW | ESS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.06B | $18.20B |
Sector | Technology | Real Estate |
52-Week High | $170.77 | $298.33 |
52-Week Low | $99.30 | $239.61 |
Enterprise Value | $22.66B | $24.80B |
Dividend Yield | 1.85% | 3.66% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CDW trades at $135.81, down 4.34% amid margin concerns despite Q2 2026 earnings beat. The stock shows neutral technical signals with support at $134 and resistance at $139. Fundamentals remain solid with 10% revenue growth and strong ROE of 44.01%, though net margins compressed to 4.6%. Recent news highlights CFO transition plans for 2027 and continued dividend payments.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus at Buy (70.59%) and $148.67 price target, offering 9.5% upside. Key risks include margin pressure from hardware mix shift and elevated debt levels. AI infrastructure demand provides growth catalyst, but investors should monitor execution amid leadership changes.
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
CDW Corp is a value-added reseller operating in the U.S. (95% of sales) and Canada (5%). The company has more than 100,000 products on its line of cards that range from notebooks to data center software. Roughly half of CDW's revenue comes from midsize and large businesses, with the remaining from small businesses, government agencies, education institutions, and health-care organizations.
Read more on CDW →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 →