Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs Meta Platforms Inc — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B), while Meta Platforms Inc trades at $599.69 (market cap $1.52T). The key difference: Meta Platforms Inc is far larger — about 83.5× Essex Property Trust, Inc.'s market cap, and Essex Property Trust, Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.66%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ESS | META | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.20B | $1.52T |
Sector | Real Estate | Media |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $790.00 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $525.72 |
Enterprise Value | $24.80B | $1.54T |
Dividend Yield | 3.66% | 0.35% |
Volume | — | 24,093,972 |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
META stock trades at $594.92, up 0.48% over 24 hours, with a bearish technical signal driven by moving averages and overbought short-term RSI. The company reported strong Q1 2026 earnings of $10.44 EPS, beating expectations, but missed in Q2 2026. Revenue growth remains robust, with 2025 revenue at $200.97 billion, though net income dipped to $60.46 billion. Recent news highlights the launch of AI model Muse Spark and a legal ruling in Massachusetts over youth addiction claims.
Outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is bullish with a $761.95 price target, citing AI innovations and solid fundamentals, but risks include high capital expenditure, regulatory lawsuits, and competitive pressures. The stock's valuation metrics like P/E of 22.41 suggest room for growth if execution continues, but investors should weigh legal and market volatility concerns.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Meta Platforms Inc., doing business as Meta and previously known as Facebook Inc. It's a company that acts as a parent platform for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp, Oculus and other subsidiaries. Among these platforms, Facebook is the number one social media platform in terms of the number of active users.
Read more on META →