Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs Vistra Corp — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B), while Vistra Corp trades at $145.57 (market cap $47.95B). The key difference: Vistra Corp is far larger — about 2.6× 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 | VST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.20B | $47.95B |
Sector | Real Estate | Technology |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $217.92 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $134.71 |
Enterprise Value | $24.80B | $69.89B |
Dividend Yield | 3.66% | 0.64% |
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.
Vistra (VST) trades at $140.59, down 0.56% on the day, with a bearish technical signal driven by selling pressure in moving averages. The stock shows strong profitability with a net income margin of 11.55% and ROE of 75.73%, though recent quarterly EPS results were mixed with two misses against expectations. Analyst consensus remains overwhelmingly bullish with a 90.91% buy rating and a $239.75 price target, highlighting growth potential from data center electricity demand.
The outlook is supported by strategic positioning in power generation for AI infrastructure, but risks include volatile hedging impacts and high P/B valuation. Earnings growth from hyperscaler deals and nuclear assets offers upside, while technical weakness near support at $136 requires monitoring for stability.
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 →Vistra is a leading integrated retail electricity and power generation company that serves as a critical infrastructure provider for the digital economy. It operates a diversified portfolio of zero-carbon nuclear and renewable assets alongside a massive, flexible natural gas fleet, positioning it as an indispensable partner for energy-intensive AI data centers and industrial electrification.
Read more on VST →