CF Industries Holdings, Inc. vs Essex Property Trust, Inc. — how do they compare? CF Industries Holdings, Inc. trades at $117.69 (market cap $18.38B), while Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B). The key difference: CF Industries Holdings, Inc. 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.
| CF | ESS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.38B | $18.20B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Real Estate |
52-Week High | $137.55 | $298.33 |
52-Week Low | $76.08 | $239.61 |
Enterprise Value | $19.52B | $24.80B |
Dividend Yield | 1.98% | 3.66% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CF Industries Holdings (CF) trades at $114.35, down 2.04% today, reflecting a bearish technical trend with support at $112 and resistance at $116. The company reported mixed Q2 2026 earnings, missing EPS estimates at $4.73 versus $5.63 expected, but revenue grew 17.6% year-over-year on strong nitrogen pricing. Fundamentals remain solid with a P/E of 8.48 and net income margin of 27.12%, while cash flow improved to $368 million in 2025. Recent news highlights institutional buying and nitrogen market tightness supporting mid-cycle earnings.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic; CF benefits from robust nitrogen demand and pricing, with analyst consensus target at $119.60 implying upside. Risks include volume volatility from plant outages and debt levels, but high ROE (39.19%) and dividend payments signal financial health. Investors may find value at current levels if operational execution aligns with favorable industry conditions.
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
CF Industries is a leading producer and distributor of nitrogen fertilizers. The company operates seven nitrogen facilities in North America and holds joint venture interests in further production capacity in the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago. CF makes nitrogen primarily using low-cost U.S. natural gas as its feedstock, making CF one of the lowest-cost nitrogen producers globally.
Read more on CF →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 →