Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs Upstart Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B), while Upstart Holdings Inc trades at $29.91 (market cap $2.94B). The key difference: Essex Property Trust, Inc. is far larger — about 6.2× Upstart Holdings Inc's market cap, and Essex Property Trust, Inc. pays a 3.66% dividend while Upstart Holdings Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ESS | UPST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.20B | $2.94B |
Sector | Real Estate | Financials |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $73.76 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $24.22 |
Enterprise Value | $24.80B | — |
Dividend Yield | 3.66% | — |
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.
Upstart (UPST) trades at $31.09, up 4.64% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported Q2 2026 revenue growth of 42% year-over-year and a return to GAAP profitability, with loan originations surging 50%. However, it has missed EPS expectations for three consecutive quarters. The stock is supported by a consensus analyst price target of $47.20, implying significant upside, but faces headwinds from high interest rates and competitive pressures.
The outlook is mixed: strong loan growth and AI-driven underwriting improvements offer growth potential, but recent earnings misses, a high P/E ratio of 59.79, and negative operating cash flow in 2025 pose risks. Investor sentiment is cautiously optimistic, with 45% of analysts rating it a Buy, though volatility from macroeconomic factors remains a key concern for shareholders.
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 →Upstart Holdings Inc provides credit services. The company provides a proprietary, cloud-based, artificial intelligence lending platform. The platform aggregates consumer demand for loans and connects it to the network of Upstart AI-enabled bank partners. The revenue of the company is primarily comprised of fees paid by banks.
Read more on UPST →