ESS vs MAA vs ALX Stock Comparison

Essex Property Trust, Mid America Apartment Communities and Alexanders Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
ALX Alexanders Inc
$251.07 +1.4% 1M +7.0% 1Y
Market cap
$1.28B
P/E
7.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$214.80M
Div. yield
0.07%
Office REITs Real Estate
6 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Alexanders leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Alexanders 6, Mid America Apartment Communities 3, Essex Property Trust 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionESSMAAALXLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $17.61B $13.78B $1.28B ESS
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 42.6x 34.5x 7.5x ALX
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 52.9x 33.5x 29.7x ALX
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +4.7% +0.8% -1.5% ESS
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 21.5% 18.0% 79.1% ALX
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — 5.3% — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 5.3x 4.5x — MAA
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.04% 0.05% 0.07% ALX
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +4.0% -10.8% +7.0% ALX
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -4.2%/yr -10.1%/yr -2.3%/yr ALX
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 20.2% 19.8% 28.0% MAA
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 46/100 51/100 36/100 MAA

Percentile Scorecard

ESSMAAALX

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

AxisESSMAAALX
Valuation 13 #127 of 145 42 #85 of 145 31 #101 of 145
Growth 36 #92 of 142 15 #121 of 142 34 #94 of 142
Profitability 91 #13 of 136 87 #19 of 136 44 #76 of 136
Financial Health 51 #68 of 139 62 #54 of 139 9 #126 of 139
Shareholder Returns 39 #80 of 131 49 #68 of 131 59 #54 of 131
Overall 46 51 36
  • ESS ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • MAA ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • ALX ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodESSMAAALXSPY
1 month +1.4%+1.0%+1.4% -0.8%
3 months -5.1%-10.4%-6.2% +3.5%
6 months +7.2%-4.6%+2.5% +7.0%
Year to date +5.2%-13.9%+15.2% +12.2%
1 year +4.0%-10.8%+7.0% +13.0%
3 years +33.3%+1.7%+40.1% +86.3%
3 years, per year +10.1%+0.6%+11.9% +23.1%
5 years -19.5%-41.4%-10.9% +68.6%
5 years, per year -4.2%-10.1%-2.3% +11.0%
10 years +32.7%+29.2%-35.0% +258.0%
10 years, per year +2.9%+2.6%-4.2% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureESSMAAALXSPY
Volatility, 1Y 20.2%19.8%28.0% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 21.9%19.2%30.5% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.120.050.23 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.20-0.540.25 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -45.4%-50.2%-44.5% -25.4%
From 52-week high -7.7%-15.9%-12.4% -1.8%
52-week high $298.33$142.19$286.59 $779.14
52-week low $239.61$114.20$205.15 $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.

MultipleESSMAAALX
P/E now vs peer median 42.8xmedian 27.4x 34.7xmedian 27.4x 7.6xmedian 27.4x
P/S now vs peer median 9.2xmedian 4.2x 6.3xmedian 4.2x 6.0xmedian 4.2x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 19.5xmedian 14.2x 15.4xmedian 14.2x —median 14.2x
P/FCF now vs peer median 30.5xmedian 23.2x 29.3xmedian 23.2x 88.3xmedian 23.2x
P/B now vs peer median 3.2xmedian 1.3x 2.5xmedian 1.3x 5.7xmedian 1.3x
PEG now vs peer median -5.33median 2.11 -2.84median 2.11 0.43median 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 monthsESSMAAALX
Revenue $1.93B $2.22B $214.80M
Operating income $627.10M – –
Net income $437.61M $410.71M $169.82M
Free cash flow $580.66M $473.83M $14.53M
EPS (diluted) $6.44 $3.44 $33.05
Cash & equivalents $58.33M $51.84M $303.31M
Total debt $26.96B $21.95B $3.48B
Shares (diluted) 64.28M 116.14M 5.14M
Enterprise value $17.37B $13.56B $487.77M

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
MetricESSMAAALX
P/E 42.8x 34.7x 7.6x
P/FCF 30.5x 29.3x 88.3x
P/Operating cash flow 15.8x 13.7x 47.2x
P/S 9.2x 6.3x 6.0x
P/B 3.2x 2.5x 5.7x
P/Tangible book 3.2x 2.5x 5.7x
EV/EBITDA 19.5x 15.4x –
EV/EBIT 38.8x 31.6x –
EV/Revenue 12.6x 8.8x 8.4x
EV/FCF 41.9x 41.2x 124.8x
EV/Operating cash flow 21.8x 19.3x 66.8x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -5.33 -2.84 0.43

Growth

14 metrics
MetricESSMAAALX
Revenue growth (1Y) 4.7% 0.8% -1.5%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 5.2% 1.6% 0.2%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – –
Operating income growth (1Y) -35.4% – –
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -2.6% – –
Net income growth (1Y) -49.8% -30.0% 354.2%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -7.9% -12.5% 17.9%
EPS growth (1Y) -48.2% -29.0% 354.0%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -8.0% -12.2% 17.8%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 8.3% -8.0% -68.1%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 5.4% -4.2% -28.8%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 344.6% -12.0% -74.4%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -3.3% -4.5% -38.2%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricESSMAAALX
Gross margin – – –
EBITDA margin 64.9% 57.1% –
Operating margin 32.5% – –
Pretax margin 18.9% 18.8% –
Net margin 21.5% 18.0% 79.1%
FCF margin 30.1% 21.4% 6.8%
Operating cash flow margin 58.0% 45.6% 12.6%
Return on equity 7.9% 7.3% –
Return on assets 3.4% 3.4% –
Return on invested capital – 5.3% –
Return on capital employed – – –
Asset turnover 0.1x 0.2x 0.2x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.6x 2.5x 0.2x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% 0.9% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricESSMAAALX
Debt / assets 51.9% 47.5% 69.4%
Debt / equity 1.2x 1.0x 3.7x
Net debt / EBITDA 5.3x 4.5x –
Debt / FCF 11.5x 12.0x 57.4x
Liabilities / assets 57.5% 53.5% 81.4%
Equity / assets 42.5% 46.5% 18.6%
Interest coverage 2.4x 3.1x –
Current ratio – – –
Quick ratio – – –
Cash ratio – – –
Altman Z-score – – –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricESSMAAALX
Dividend yield 3.8% 5.1% 7.2%
Net buyback yield 0.3% 0.9% –
Shareholder yield 4.1% 6.0% 7.2%
Payout ratio (earnings) 151.6% 173.3% 54.4%
Payout ratio (FCF) 114.2% 150.2% 636.3%
Dividend growth (1Y) 4.0% 2.0% 0.0%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 4.8% 5.1% 0.1%

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.

ConsensusESSMAAALX
Forward P/E 52.9xFY2026 33.5xFY2026 29.7xFY2027
EPS, next fiscal year $5.21FY2026 $3.57FY2026 $8.44FY2027
EPS growth, next FY -49.9%FY2026 -5.6%FY2026 -31.2%FY2027
EPS growth, the year after +29.6% -9.0% –
Revenue, next fiscal year $2.05BFY2026 $2.29BFY2026 $259.67MFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +9.2%FY2026 +3.8%FY2026 +21.8%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -7.5% +1.5% -8.1%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersESSMAAALX
Held by institutions 100.0% 97.1% 38.9%
Institutions holding 630 771 153
Change in shares held, QoQ +4.7% +8.2% +2.7%
Institutions buying 348 395 71
Institutions selling 183 262 50
Buyers to sellers 1.90 1.51 1.42

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.

ESSMAAALX
ESS 1.00 0.80 0.34
MAA 0.80 1.00 0.33
ALX 0.34 0.33 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ESS, MAA and ALX?

Essex Property Trust (ESS) is the largest by market capitalisation: Essex Property Trust (ESS) $17.61B, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) $13.78B, Alexanders (ALX) $1.28B.

Which stock is cheaper, ESS, MAA and ALX?

Alexanders (ALX) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Essex Property Trust (ESS) 42.6x, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 34.5x, Alexanders (ALX) 7.5x). On next year's consensus earnings, Alexanders (ALX) is cheapest (Essex Property Trust (ESS) 52.9x, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 33.5x, Alexanders (ALX) 29.7x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Essex Property Trust (ESS) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Essex Property Trust (ESS) +4.7%, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) +0.8%, Alexanders (ALX) -1.5%.

Which company is more profitable?

Alexanders (ALX) has the highest net margin (Essex Property Trust (ESS) 21.5%, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 18.0%, Alexanders (ALX) 79.1%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Alexanders (ALX) returned the most: Essex Property Trust (ESS) +4.0%, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) -10.8%, Alexanders (ALX) +7.0%. Over five years, Alexanders (ALX) compounded fastest (Essex Property Trust (ESS) -4.2%/yr, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) -10.1%/yr, Alexanders (ALX) -2.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Alexanders (ALX) has the highest dividend yield: Essex Property Trust (ESS) 0.04%, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 0.05%, Alexanders (ALX) 0.07%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) has been the steadiest (Essex Property Trust (ESS) 20.2%, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 19.8%, Alexanders (ALX) 28.0%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ESS, MAA and ALX?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Alexanders (ALX) leads on 6. 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.