Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs Nasdaq Inc — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $297.26 (market cap $18.82B), while Nasdaq Inc trades at $91.98 (market cap $51.67B). The key difference: Nasdaq Inc is far larger — about 2.7× 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 | NDAQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.82B | $51.67B |
Sector | Real Estate | Financials |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $100.98 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $76.85 |
Enterprise Value | $25.54B | $58.73B |
Dividend Yield | 3.54% | 1.23% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Essex Property Trust (ESS) trades at $293.32, down 1.61% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages. The stock shows strong profitability with a 30.03% net income margin and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent news highlights include the upcoming Q2 2026 earnings release and inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index, reflecting positive momentum.
The outlook for ESS is cautiously optimistic, driven by robust West Coast rental demand and AI-driven employment growth. Risks include elevated debt levels and Seattle market weakness. Analysts maintain a mixed consensus with a $294.25 price target, suggesting limited near-term upside from current levels amid balanced sentiment.
Nasdaq (NDAQ) is trading at $88.01, down 1.35% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. Fundamentally, the company reported strong revenue growth to $8.26B in 2025 and has consistently beaten earnings estimates, with a robust net income margin of 23.03%. Recent news highlights its core business activity, including new listings and market volume reports.
The outlook is positive, supported by strong analyst consensus and a price target implying ~20% upside. Key opportunities include sustained earnings growth and market leadership, while risks involve execution of strategic investments and sensitivity to capital market activity.
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 →Founded in 1971, Nasdaq is primarily known for its equity exchange, but in addition to its market-services business (about 35% of sales), the company sells and distributes market data as well as offers Nasdaq-branded indexes to asset managers and investors through its information-services segment (30%). Nasdaq's corporate-services business (20%) offers listing services and related investor relations products to publicly traded companies and through the company's market technology group (15%), Nasdaq facilitates the exchange operations of other exchanges throughout the world and provides financial compliance services.
Read more on NDAQ →