Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs General Dynamics Corporation — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $297.63 (market cap $18.82B), while General Dynamics Corporation trades at $368.19 (market cap $98.88B). The key difference: General Dynamics Corporation is far larger — about 5.3× Essex Property Trust, Inc.'s market cap, and Essex Property Trust, Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.54%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ESS | GD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.82B | $98.88B |
Sector | Real Estate | Industrials |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $376.88 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $297.05 |
Enterprise Value | $25.54B | $105.06B |
Dividend Yield | 3.54% | 1.74% |
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General Dynamics (GD) trades at $366.40, down 0.84% on the day, with strong technical momentum indicated by bullish moving averages and oscillators. The company demonstrates solid fundamentals with Q1 2026 EPS beating expectations at $4.10 versus $3.67, continuing a trend of earnings outperformance. Revenue growth has been consistent, reaching $52.55 billion in 2025 with an 8.07% net income margin. Analyst sentiment remains positive with a $395.83 consensus price target and 53% buy ratings.
The outlook for GD is favorable given strong defense spending tailwinds and a growing $130.8 billion backlog, particularly in marine systems. However, risks include execution challenges on large contracts and potential defense budget volatility. The stock's current valuation at 23x P/E appears reasonable relative to earnings growth prospects, positioning it as a core defense holding for long-term investors.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →General Dynamics is a defense contractor and business jet manufacturer. The firm's segments include aerospace, combat systems, marine, and technologies. The company's aerospace segment creates Gulfstream business jets. Combat system produces land-based combat vehicles, such as the M1 Abrams tank. The marine subsegment creates nuclear-powered submarines, among other things. The technologies segment contains two main units, an IT business that primarily serves the government market and a mission systems business that focuses on products that provide command, control, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to the military.
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