Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs Nuscale Power Corporation — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $297.63 (market cap $18.82B), while Nuscale Power Corporation trades at $7.59 (market cap $2.89B). The key difference: Essex Property Trust, Inc. is far larger — about 6.5× Nuscale Power Corporation's market cap, and Essex Property Trust, Inc. pays a 3.54% dividend while Nuscale Power Corporation pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ESS | SMR | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.82B | $2.89B |
Sector | Real Estate | Utilities |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $53.43 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $8.35 |
Enterprise Value | $25.54B | $2.00B |
Dividend Yield | 3.54% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ESS trades at $297.29, down slightly by 0.28% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 results expected soon. Fundamentals show robust profitability with a 30.03% net income margin and $669.67M net income for 2025, though valuation ratios like a P/E of 32.93 appear elevated. Recent news highlights sustainability initiatives and inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index.
The outlook for ESS is cautiously optimistic, supported by high West Coast rental demand and AI-driven employment growth. Risks include elevated debt levels and Seattle market weakness. Analysts are mixed with a $294.25 consensus price target, slightly below the current price, suggesting limited near-term upside amid solid operational performance.
NuScale Power (SMR) trades at $7.54, down 12.22% in the last session amid ongoing operational challenges. The stock shows bearish technical signals with key support at $7.00. Fundamentally, the company reported a net loss of $355.79 million on $31.48 million revenue in 2025, with negative margins and cash burn from operations. Analyst consensus remains optimistic with a $12.25 price target despite recent earnings misses.
The investment case hinges on SMR's first-mover advantage in nuclear technology and potential AI-driven power demand, but faces significant execution risk. With no commercial reactors yet operational and substantial cash burn, the stock represents high-risk speculation. Current valuation appears stretched given negative profitability metrics and uncertain revenue timeline.
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 →NuScale Power Corporation is a leading developer of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. The company's flagship product is a light water reactor SMR designed to generate clean, reliable, and scalable nuclear power. NuScale's technology is poised to address the global demand for carbon-free energy by offering a safer, smaller, and more flexible alternative to traditional large-scale nuclear power plants, with applications in electricity generation, desalination, and process heat.
Read more on SMR →