Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs WEC Energy Group Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $268.84 (market cap $17.47B), while WEC Energy Group Inc. Common Stock trades at $107.43 (market cap $34.50B). The key difference: WEC Energy Group Inc. Common Stock is the larger of the two by market cap, and Essex Property Trust, Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.81%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Essex Property Trust, Inc. for 112 Days and WEC Energy Group Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| ESS | WEC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.47B | $34.50B |
Volume | 425,157 | 2,835,735 |
Sector | Real Estate | Utilities |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $118.85 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $100.78 |
Typical Hold Time | 112 Days | 0 Days |
Enterprise Value | $24.07B | $57.46B |
Dividend Yield | 3.81% | 3.6% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ESS trades at $269.37, down 0.38% with neutral technical signals. The company shows strong profitability with 67.9% gross margins and 21.48% net income, though recent earnings were mixed with Q2 2026 missing expectations. Revenue growth has been steady, reaching $1.89B in 2025. Analyst consensus is mixed with 38.3% buy ratings and a $300.77 price target, representing 11.7% upside. Recent news highlights strong Q2 results and legal resolution.
ESS offers solid fundamentals with premium valuation (P/E 42.35) and strong operational efficiency. Key risks include earnings volatility and high debt levels ($6.46B long-term). The stock presents opportunity from raised guidance and institutional interest, but requires monitoring of West Coast real estate market conditions and interest rate sensitivity.
WEC Energy Group trades at $105.87, up 0.92% with neutral technical signals. The stock shows strong fundamentals with consistent earnings beats (Q2 2026 EPS of $0.91 vs. $0.804 expected) and improving profitability (net margin 16.7%). Recent news highlights growing data center demand as a key growth driver, with the company engaging in large-scale customer discussions for 400-500 megawatt projects.
WEC presents a compelling utility investment with stable cash flows and dividend potential, though faces interest rate sensitivity. Analyst consensus targets $118.33 (12% upside) with majority Hold ratings. Key risks include regulatory pressures and capital expenditure requirements for infrastructure expansion through 2030.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
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 →WEC Energy Group is a Midwest electric and natural gas utility holding company whose subsidiaries, including We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service, deliver electricity and natural gas to customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota.
Read more on WEC →