Essex Property Trust, Inc. vs Western Union Co — how do they compare? Essex Property Trust, Inc. trades at $282.11 (market cap $18.20B), while Western Union Co trades at $7.05 (market cap $2.19B). The key difference: Essex Property Trust, Inc. is far larger — about 8.3× Western Union Co's market cap, and Western Union Co pays the higher dividend (13.37%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ESS | WU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.20B | $2.19B |
Sector | Real Estate | Technology |
52-Week High | $298.33 | $10.28 |
52-Week Low | $239.61 | $6.36 |
Enterprise Value | $24.80B | $2.10B |
Dividend Yield | 3.66% | 13.37% |
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.
Western Union (WU) trades at $7.08, down 1.12% today, with a bearish technical signal and recent earnings misses in Q1 and Q2 2026. Valuation ratios appear attractive with a P/E of 5.71 and P/S of 0.56, but revenue has declined from $4.5B in 2022 to $4.05B in 2025. The company maintains a strong dividend yield, paying $0.24 quarterly, and recently launched Stablecard with Rain to expand digital services.
The outlook is cautious due to earnings volatility and competitive pressures in money transfers. Opportunities include cost management and digital growth, but risks from declining retail performance and high debt levels persist. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $7.14 price target, reflecting uncertainty over turnaround efforts.
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 →Western Union provides domestic and international money transfers through its global network of about 500,000 outside agents. It is the largest money transfer company in the world and one of only a few companies with a truly global agent network.
Read more on WU →