CPT vs ESS vs ELS Stock Comparison

Camden Property Trust, Essex Property Trust and Equity Lifestyle Properties Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
CPT Camden Property Trust
$102.01 +3.9% 1M -2.9% 1Y
Market cap
$10.37B
P/E
31.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$13.12M
Div. yield
–
Residential REITs Real Estate
3 wins

Head to Head

9 decided of 12

Essex Property Trust leads on 3 of the 12 questions below (Essex Property Trust 3, Equity Lifestyle Properties 3, Camden Property Trust 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionCPTESSELSLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $10.37B $17.52B $11.58B ESS
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 31.8x 42.3x 29.6x ELS
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 99.0x 52.9x 28.9x ELS
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +56.8% +4.7% +3.2% CPT
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 2,486.2% 21.5% — CPT
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — — — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 5.3x — –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.04% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -2.9% +4.0% -0.8% ESS
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -8.6%/yr -4.2%/yr -6.3%/yr ESS
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 20.1% 20.2% 18.5% ELS
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 51/100 46/100 45/100 CPT

Percentile Scorecard

CPTESSELS

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisCPTESSELS
Valuation 13 #126 of 145 13 #127 of 145 14 #125 of 145
Growth 74 #38 of 142 36 #92 of 142 52 #69 of 142
Profitability 46 #74 of 136 91 #13 of 136 100 #1 of 136
Financial Health 36 #90 of 139 51 #68 of 139 –
Shareholder Returns 88 #17 of 131 39 #80 of 131 14 #113 of 131
Overall 51 46 45
  • CPT ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • ESS ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • ELS ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodCPTESSELSSPY
1 month +3.9%+1.4%+3.0% -0.8%
3 months -9.6%-5.1%-6.2% +3.5%
6 months +0.4%+7.2%-2.8% +7.0%
Year to date -7.3%+5.2%+0.7% +12.2%
1 year -2.9%+4.0%-0.8% +13.0%
3 years +21.5%+33.3%-5.1% +86.3%
3 years, per year +6.7%+10.1%-1.7% +23.1%
5 years -36.0%-19.5%-27.9% +68.6%
5 years, per year -8.6%-4.2%-6.3% +11.0%
10 years +28.2%+32.7%+63.3% +258.0%
10 years, per year +2.5%+2.9%+5.0% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureCPTESSELSSPY
Volatility, 1Y 20.1%20.2%18.5% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 20.6%21.9%17.8% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.090.12-0.21 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.140.20-0.04 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -53.0%-45.4%-34.2% -25.4%
From 52-week high -13.2%-7.7%-10.7% -1.8%
52-week high $117.53$298.33$68.37 $779.14
52-week low $95.82$239.61$57.64 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleCPTESSELS
P/E now vs peer median 32.0xmedian 27.4x 42.8xmedian 27.4x 30.2xmedian 27.4x
P/S now vs peer median 781.6xmedian 4.2x 9.2xmedian 4.2x 7.5xmedian 4.2x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median —median 14.2x 19.5xmedian 14.2x —median 14.2x
P/FCF now vs peer median -48.5xmedian 23.2x 30.5xmedian 23.2x 33.0xmedian 23.2x
P/B now vs peer median 2.6xmedian 1.3x 3.2xmedian 1.3x 6.6xmedian 1.3x
PEG now vs peer median 1.71median 2.11 -5.33median 2.11 3.38median 2.11

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsCPTESSELS
Revenue $13.12M $1.93B $1.58B
Operating income – $627.10M $411.40M
Net income $336.62M $437.61M –
Free cash flow -$211.62M $580.66M –
EPS (diluted) $3.19 $6.44 $1.95
Cash & equivalents $44.72M $58.33M $24.33M
Total debt $4.85B $26.96B –
Shares (diluted) 102.36M 64.28M 200.21M
Enterprise value $10.23B $17.29B $11.58B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricCPTESSELS
P/E 32.0x 42.8x 30.2x
P/FCF -48.5x 30.5x 33.0x
P/Operating cash flow 12.7x 15.8x –
P/S 781.6x 9.2x 7.5x
P/B 2.6x 3.2x 6.6x
P/Tangible book 2.6x 3.2x 6.6x
EV/EBITDA – 19.5x –
EV/EBIT – 38.8x –
EV/Revenue 1,148x 12.6x 7.5x
EV/FCF -71.2x 41.9x –
EV/Operating cash flow 18.7x 21.8x –
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 1.71 -5.33 3.38

Growth

14 metrics
MetricCPTESSELS
Revenue growth (1Y) 56.8% 4.7% 3.2%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 66.5% 5.2% 2.4%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – –
Operating income growth (1Y) – -35.4% 4.5%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – -2.6% 16.2%
Net income growth (1Y) 108.1% -49.8% –
Net income CAGR (3Y) 16.0% -7.9% –
EPS growth (1Y) 123.5% -48.2% 2.3%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 18.7% -8.0% 8.9%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 1.8% 8.3% –
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 1.1% 5.4% –
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -377.3% 344.6% –
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -36.7% -3.3% –

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricCPTESSELS
Gross margin – – –
EBITDA margin – 64.9% –
Operating margin – 32.5% –
Pretax margin – 18.9% –
Net margin 2,486% 21.5% –
FCF margin -1,613% 30.1% –
Operating cash flow margin 6,154% 58.0% –
Return on equity 8.4% 7.9% 22.3%
Return on assets 3.6% 3.4% 7.0%
Return on invested capital – – –
Return on capital employed – – –
Asset turnover 0.0x 0.1x 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.4x 2.6x –
Stock comp / revenue 128.3% 0.6% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricCPTESSELS
Debt / assets 51.3% 51.9% –
Debt / equity 1.3x 1.2x –
Net debt / EBITDA – 5.3x –
Debt / FCF -22.9x 11.5x –
Liabilities / assets 59.0% 57.5% 68.7%
Equity / assets 41.0% 42.5% 31.3%
Interest coverage – 2.4x –
Current ratio – – –
Quick ratio – – –
Cash ratio – – –
Altman Z-score – – –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricCPTESSELS
Dividend yield 4.1% 3.8% 3.5%
Net buyback yield 6.6% 0.3% –
Shareholder yield 10.8% 4.1% 3.5%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 151.6% –
Payout ratio (FCF) – 114.2% –
Dividend growth (1Y) – 4.0% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 4.8% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusCPTESSELS
Forward P/E 99.0xFY2026 52.9xFY2026 28.9xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $1.03FY2026 $5.21FY2026 $2.11FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -70.9%FY2026 -49.9%FY2026 +5.0%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after -8.7% +29.6% +9.0%
Revenue, next fiscal year $1.60BFY2026 $2.05BFY2026 $1.52BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +2.1%FY2026 +9.2%FY2026 -0.6%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -8.2% -7.5% +14.4%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersCPTESSELS
Held by institutions 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Institutions holding 575 630 476
Change in shares held, QoQ -0.4% +4.7% +2.6%
Institutions buying 267 348 220
Institutions selling 213 183 190
Buyers to sellers 1.25 1.90 1.16

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

CPTESSELS
CPT 1.00 0.82 0.56
ESS 0.82 1.00 0.52
ELS 0.56 0.52 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, CPT, ESS and ELS?

Essex Property Trust (ESS) is the largest by market capitalisation: Camden Property Trust (CPT) $10.37B, Essex Property Trust (ESS) $17.52B, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) $11.58B.

Which stock is cheaper, CPT, ESS and ELS?

Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Camden Property Trust (CPT) 31.8x, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 42.3x, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) 29.6x). On next year's consensus earnings, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) is cheapest (Camden Property Trust (CPT) 99.0x, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 52.9x, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) 28.9x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Camden Property Trust (CPT) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Camden Property Trust (CPT) +56.8%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) +4.7%, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) +3.2%.

Which company is more profitable?

Camden Property Trust (CPT) has the highest net margin (Camden Property Trust (CPT) 2,486.2%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 21.5%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Essex Property Trust (ESS) returned the most: Camden Property Trust (CPT) -2.9%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) +4.0%, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) -0.8%. Over five years, Essex Property Trust (ESS) compounded fastest (Camden Property Trust (CPT) -8.6%/yr, Essex Property Trust (ESS) -4.2%/yr, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) -6.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Camden Property Trust (CPT) 0.00%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 0.04%, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) 0.00%. Camden Property Trust (CPT) and Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) has been the steadiest (Camden Property Trust (CPT) 20.1%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 20.2%, Equity Lifestyle Properties (ELS) 18.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, CPT, ESS and ELS?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Essex Property Trust (ESS) leads on 3. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.