ESS vs IRT vs SUI Stock Comparison

Essex Property Trust, Independence Realty Trust and Sun Communities Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
SUI Sun Communities Inc
$114.94 +2.4% 1M -7.7% 1Y
Market cap
$13.35B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$2.41B
Div. yield
0.04%
Residential REITs Real Estate
2 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Essex Property Trust leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Essex Property Trust 7, Sun Communities 2, Independence Realty Trust 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionESSIRTSUILeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $16.84B $3.39B $13.35B ESS
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 40.7x 78.0x -17.7x ESS
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 52.8x 106.2x — ESS
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +4.7% +3.5% +18.4% SUI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 21.5% 6.5% -31.4% ESS
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — — 3.5% –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 5.3x — 1.4x SUI
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.04% 0.05% 0.04% IRT
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +4.8% -8.0% -7.7% ESS
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -4.5%/yr -9.0%/yr -10.2%/yr ESS
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 20.1% 21.9% 20.6% ESS
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 46/100 51/100 49/100 IRT

Percentile Scorecard

ESSIRTSUI

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

AxisESSIRTSUI
Valuation 12 #128 of 145 49 #74 of 145 37 #92 of 145
Growth 34 #93 of 141 54 #66 of 141 34 #94 of 141
Profitability 93 #10 of 134 50 #67 of 134 35 #87 of 134
Financial Health 51 #68 of 138 74 #37 of 138 90 #15 of 138
Shareholder Returns 38 #82 of 131 26 #97 of 131 49 #68 of 131
Overall 46 51 49
  • ESS ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • IRT ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • SUI ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodESSIRTSUISPY
1 month +1.2%+1.5%+2.4% -0.2%
3 months -6.7%-10.9%-7.5% +3.9%
6 months +2.6%-8.9%-10.4% +8.2%
Year to date +5.0%-14.9%-7.2% +12.9%
1 year +4.8%-8.0%-7.7% +12.3%
3 years +33.1%+21.9%+6.4% +87.4%
3 years, per year +10.0%+6.8%+2.1% +23.3%
5 years -20.5%-37.6%-41.4% +67.9%
5 years, per year -4.5%-9.0%-10.2% +10.9%
10 years +33.5%+73.5%+51.5% +261.1%
10 years, per year +2.9%+5.7%+4.2% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureESSIRTSUISPY
Volatility, 1Y 20.1%21.9%20.6% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 21.8%23.6%20.5% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.120.16-0.07 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.24-0.37-0.37 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -45.4%-57.1%-51.1% -25.4%
From 52-week high -7.9%-16.3%-16.2% -1.2%
52-week high $298.33$17.77$137.18 $779.14
52-week low $239.61$14.46$110.01 $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.

MultipleESSIRTSUI
P/E now vs peer median 42.7xmedian 26.3x 80.5xmedian 26.3x -18.4xmedian 26.3x
P/S now vs peer median 9.2xmedian 4.0x 5.3xmedian 4.0x 5.7xmedian 4.0x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 19.4xmedian 14.4x —median 14.4x 18.6xmedian 14.4x
P/FCF now vs peer median 30.4xmedian 23.3x -959.9xmedian 23.3x 34.9xmedian 23.3x
P/B now vs peer median 3.2xmedian 1.3x 1.0xmedian 1.3x 2.6xmedian 1.3x
PEG now vs peer median -5.32median 1.91 -5.13median 1.91 0.23median 1.91

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 monthsESSIRTSUI
Revenue $1.93B $666.83M $2.41B
Gross profit – – $2.13B
Operating income $627.10M – $256.50M
Net income $437.61M $44.30M -$772.80M
Free cash flow $580.66M -$3.65M $395.00M
EPS (diluted) $6.44 $0.18 $-6.13
Cash & equivalents $58.33M $46.70M $699.30M
Total debt $26.96B $2.44B $1.79B
Shares (diluted) 64.28M 236.04M 123.20M
Enterprise value $16.60B $3.20B $11.38B

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
MetricESSIRTSUI
P/E 42.7x 80.5x -18.4x
P/FCF 30.4x -959.9x 34.9x
P/Operating cash flow 15.8x 12.7x 16.1x
P/S 9.2x 5.3x 5.7x
P/B 3.2x 1.0x 2.6x
P/Tangible book 3.2x 1.0x 2.6x
EV/EBITDA 19.4x – 18.6x
EV/EBIT 38.8x – 58.0x
EV/Revenue 12.6x 8.9x 6.2x
EV/FCF 41.9x -1,616x 37.7x
EV/Operating cash flow 21.7x 21.4x 17.4x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -5.32 -5.13 0.23

Growth

14 metrics
MetricESSIRTSUI
Revenue growth (1Y) 4.7% 3.5% 18.4%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 5.2% 0.9% -8.7%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – 15.2%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – -5.7%
Operating income growth (1Y) -35.4% – 311.6%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -2.6% – 8.0%
Net income growth (1Y) -49.8% 57.0% -172.3%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -7.9% -14.6% -85.6%
EPS growth (1Y) -48.2% 55.3% -175.0%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -8.0% -15.7% -81.0%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 8.3% 0.2% 5.1%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 5.4% 1.3% 6.1%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 344.6% 98.0% -6.1%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -3.3% 71.2% 46.9%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricESSIRTSUI
Gross margin – – 88.3%
EBITDA margin 64.9% – 33.2%
Operating margin 32.5% – 10.6%
Pretax margin 18.9% – 3.9%
Net margin 21.5% 6.5% -31.4%
FCF margin 30.1% -0.5% 16.4%
Operating cash flow margin 58.0% 41.4% 35.5%
Return on equity 7.9% 1.3% -14.2%
Return on assets 3.4% 0.7% -7.5%
Return on invested capital – – 3.5%
Return on capital employed – – –
Asset turnover 0.1x 0.1x 0.2x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.6x 6.2x -1.1x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% 1.2% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricESSIRTSUI
Debt / assets 51.9% 40.1% 18.2%
Debt / equity 1.2x 0.7x 0.3x
Net debt / EBITDA 5.3x – 1.4x
Debt / FCF 11.5x -669.1x 4.5x
Liabilities / assets 57.5% 42.8% 46.1%
Equity / assets 42.5% 57.2% 53.9%
Interest coverage 2.4x – 1.6x
Current ratio – – –
Quick ratio – – –
Cash ratio – – –
Altman Z-score – – –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricESSIRTSUI
Dividend yield 3.8% 4.7% 3.8%
Net buyback yield 0.3% -2.4% 4.0%
Shareholder yield 4.1% 2.4% 7.9%
Payout ratio (earnings) 151.6% 363.2% -71.7%
Payout ratio (FCF) 114.2% -4,405% 140.3%
Dividend growth (1Y) 4.0% 10.2% -46.4%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 4.8% 8.7% –

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.

ConsensusESSIRTSUI
Forward P/E 52.8xFY2026 106.2xFY2026 –
EPS, next fiscal year $5.21FY2026 $0.14FY2026 $-5.88FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -49.9%FY2026 -41.7%FY2026 -154.2%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +29.6% +50.0% –
Revenue, next fiscal year $2.05BFY2026 $637.39MFY2026 $2.04BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +9.2%FY2026 -2.9%FY2026 -11.5%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -7.5% +20.7% -4.9%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersESSIRTSUI
Held by institutions 100.0% 98.8% 100.0%
Institutions holding 630 395 530
Change in shares held, QoQ +4.7% +2.0% +6.1%
Institutions buying 348 189 258
Institutions selling 183 140 197
Buyers to sellers 1.90 1.35 1.31

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.

ESSIRTSUI
ESS 1.00 0.70 0.50
IRT 0.70 1.00 0.55
SUI 0.50 0.55 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ESS, IRT and SUI?

Essex Property Trust (ESS) is the largest by market capitalisation: Essex Property Trust (ESS) $16.84B, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) $3.39B, Sun Communities (SUI) $13.35B.

Which stock is cheaper, ESS, IRT and SUI?

Essex Property Trust (ESS) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Essex Property Trust (ESS) 40.7x, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) 78.0x, Sun Communities (SUI) -17.7x). On next year's consensus earnings, Essex Property Trust (ESS) is cheapest (Essex Property Trust (ESS) 52.8x, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) 106.2x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Sun Communities (SUI) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Essex Property Trust (ESS) +4.7%, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) +3.5%, Sun Communities (SUI) +18.4%.

Which company is more profitable?

Essex Property Trust (ESS) has the highest net margin (Essex Property Trust (ESS) 21.5%, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) 6.5%, Sun Communities (SUI) -31.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Essex Property Trust (ESS) returned the most: Essex Property Trust (ESS) +4.8%, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) -8.0%, Sun Communities (SUI) -7.7%. Over five years, Essex Property Trust (ESS) compounded fastest (Essex Property Trust (ESS) -4.5%/yr, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) -9.0%/yr, Sun Communities (SUI) -10.2%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Independence Realty Trust (IRT) has the highest dividend yield: Essex Property Trust (ESS) 0.04%, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) 0.05%, Sun Communities (SUI) 0.04%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Essex Property Trust (ESS) has been the steadiest (Essex Property Trust (ESS) 20.1%, Independence Realty Trust (IRT) 21.9%, Sun Communities (SUI) 20.6%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ESS, IRT and SUI?

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 7. 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.