ESS
Essex Property Trust, Inc. Real Estate - REIT - Residential Investor Relations →
Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) closed at $258.06 as of 2026-02-02, trading 7.6% above its 200-week moving average of $239.86. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 4.9% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 56, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 1604 weeks of data, ESS has crossed below its 200-week moving average 11 times. On average, these episodes lasted 19 weeks. Historically, investors who bought ESS at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +21.2%.
With a market cap of $17.8 billion, ESS is a large-cap stock. Return on equity stands at 12.2%. The stock trades at 3.0x book value.
ESS is a Dividend Aristocrat, having increased its dividend for 25 or more consecutive years. The current yield is 398.00%.
Over the past 30.8 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in ESS would have grown to $5210, compared to $2205 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 13.7% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming ESS as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 5.9% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: ESS vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After ESS Crosses Below the Line?
Across 11 historical episodes, buying ESS when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +21.7% after 12 months (median +27.0%), compared to +22.0% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 64% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +42.7% vs +41.1% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment ESS crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
ESS has crossed below its 200-week MA 11 times with an average 1-year return of +21.2% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1995 | Jul 1995 | 1 | 1.3% | +45.2% | +5419.2% |
| Aug 1995 | Aug 1995 | 1 | 0.7% | +45.7% | +5378.6% |
| Dec 2007 | Jan 2008 | 3 | 5.4% | -12.2% | +443.9% |
| Oct 2008 | Apr 2010 | 77 | 45.5% | -9.7% | +408.8% |
| Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 | 3 | 22.4% | +45.6% | +62.7% |
| Apr 2020 | Jun 2020 | 6 | 7.6% | +27.5% | +31.0% |
| Jun 2020 | Nov 2020 | 21 | 17.0% | +33.5% | +35.4% |
| Dec 2020 | Feb 2021 | 8 | 4.4% | +46.0% | +27.2% |
| Jun 2022 | Jul 2022 | 5 | 5.1% | -3.8% | +16.2% |
| Aug 2022 | Dec 2023 | 69 | 23.6% | -7.0% | +11.0% |
| Jan 2024 | Apr 2024 | 14 | 5.9% | +22.0% | +15.3% |
| Average | 19 | — | +21.2% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02