Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs Nasdaq Inc — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.15B), while Nasdaq Inc trades at $94.91 (market cap $53.11B). The key difference: Nasdaq Inc is far larger — about 2.9× Essex Property Trust, Inc.'s market cap, and Essex Property Trust, Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.93%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ESS | NDAQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.15B | $53.11B |
Sector | Real Estate | Financials |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $100.98 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $76.85 |
Enterprise Value | $24.75B | $59.57B |
Dividend Yield | 3.93% | 1.22% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ESS trades at $281.92, down 0.46% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages and oscillators. The company reported a Q2 2026 EPS miss ($0.97 vs. $1.46 expected) but raised full-year guidance, reflecting strong property NOI growth. Revenue reached $1.89B in 2025 with a net income margin of 35.48%, though profitability is projected to moderate in 2026. Recent news highlights institutional buying by Amundi and recognition as a top GreenTech company.
The outlook is mixed: raised guidance and solid fundamentals support upside toward the $305.86 consensus price target, but technical weakness and a high debt load pose near-term risks. Investor sentiment is cautiously optimistic, with 40% of analysts rating the stock a Buy, though the bearish technical picture suggests potential volatility ahead.
Nasdaq (NDAQ) trades at $95.92, up 0.31% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong support at $95. The company reported robust earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.07 exceeding expectations, and revenue growth accelerated to $8.26 billion in 2025. Recent news includes the acquisition of LeveL Markets, advancing its always-on markets strategy.
The outlook is positive, supported by analyst consensus of $109.20 price target and 61% buy ratings. Key opportunities include sustained revenue growth and strategic acquisitions, while risks involve competitive pressures and market volatility. The stock offers a dividend yield with recent payouts of $0.31 per share.
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 →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 →