MAA vs ESS vs ESBA Stock Comparison

Mid America Apartment Communities, Essex Property Trust and Empire State Realty OP Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Mid America Apartment Communities leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Mid America Apartment Communities 7, Essex Property Trust 5). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionMAAESSESBALeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $13.78B $17.75B $1.30B ESS
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 34.5x 42.9x 256.9x MAA
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 33.5x 52.9x — MAA
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +0.8% +4.7% +2.0% ESS
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 18.0% 21.5% 0.6% ESS
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 5.3% — -1.1% MAA
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 4.5x 5.3x 5.0x MAA
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.05% 0.04% 0.00% MAA
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -10.8% +4.0% -39.1% ESS
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -10.1%/yr -4.2%/yr -14.3%/yr ESS
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 19.8% 20.2% 51.8% MAA
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 51/100 46/100 33/100 MAA

Percentile Scorecard

MAAESSESBA

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

AxisMAAESSESBA
Valuation 42 #85 of 145 13 #127 of 145 69 #45 of 145
Growth 15 #121 of 142 36 #92 of 142 2 #139 of 142
Profitability 87 #19 of 136 91 #13 of 136 26 #101 of 136
Financial Health 62 #54 of 139 51 #68 of 139 60 #56 of 139
Shareholder Returns 49 #68 of 131 39 #80 of 131 9 #120 of 131
Overall 51 46 33
  • MAA ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • ESS ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • ESBA ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodMAAESSESBASPY
1 month +1.0%+1.4%+20.8% -0.8%
3 months -10.4%-5.1%-13.1% +3.5%
6 months -4.6%+7.2%-13.7% +7.0%
Year to date -13.9%+5.2%-23.3% +12.2%
1 year -10.8%+4.0%-39.1% +13.0%
3 years +1.7%+33.3%-38.8% +86.3%
3 years, per year +0.6%+10.1%-15.1% +23.1%
5 years -41.4%-19.5%-53.8% +68.6%
5 years, per year -10.1%-4.2%-14.3% +11.0%
10 years +29.2%+32.7%-75.4% +258.0%
10 years, per year +2.6%+2.9%-13.1% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureMAAESSESBASPY
Volatility, 1Y 19.8%20.2%51.8% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 19.2%21.9%61.1% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.050.120.42 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.540.20-0.75 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -50.2%-45.4%-66.4% -25.4%
From 52-week high -15.9%-7.7%-37.7% -1.8%
52-week high $142.19$298.33$7.75 $779.14
52-week low $114.20$239.61$3.85 $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.

MultipleMAAESSESBA
P/E now vs peer median 34.7xmedian 27.4x 42.8xmedian 27.4x 256.9xmedian 27.4x
P/S now vs peer median 6.3xmedian 4.2x 9.2xmedian 4.2x 1.7xmedian 4.2x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 15.4xmedian 14.2x 19.5xmedian 14.2x 12.5xmedian 14.2x
P/FCF now vs peer median 29.3xmedian 23.2x 30.5xmedian 23.2x -3.0xmedian 23.2x
P/B now vs peer median 2.5xmedian 1.3x 3.2xmedian 1.3x 0.7xmedian 1.3x
PEG now vs peer median -2.84median 2.11 -5.33median 2.11 -4.30median 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 monthsMAAESSESBA
Revenue $2.22B $1.93B $784.18M
Operating income – $627.10M -$34.52M
Net income $410.71M $437.61M $9.26M
Free cash flow $473.83M $580.66M -$437.31M
EPS (diluted) $3.44 $6.44 $0.02
Cash & equivalents $51.84M $58.33M $85.61M
Total debt $21.95B $26.96B $4.54B
Shares (diluted) 116.14M 64.28M 268.95M
Enterprise value $13.56B $17.51B $857.82M

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
MetricMAAESSESBA
P/E 34.7x 42.8x 256.9x
P/FCF 29.3x 30.5x -3.0x
P/Operating cash flow 13.7x 15.8x 5.7x
P/S 6.3x 9.2x 1.7x
P/B 2.5x 3.2x 0.7x
P/Tangible book 2.5x 3.2x 0.7x
EV/EBITDA 15.4x 19.5x 12.5x
EV/EBIT 31.6x 38.8x -62.8x
EV/Revenue 8.8x 12.6x 2.8x
EV/FCF 41.2x 41.9x -5.0x
EV/Operating cash flow 19.3x 21.8x 9.5x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -2.84 -5.33 -4.30

Growth

14 metrics
MetricMAAESSESBA
Revenue growth (1Y) 0.8% 4.7% 2.0%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 1.6% 5.2% 2.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – –
Operating income growth (1Y) – -35.4% -123.1%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – -2.6% -31.0%
Net income growth (1Y) -30.0% -49.8% -86.5%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -12.5% -7.9% -51.3%
EPS growth (1Y) -29.0% -48.2% -92.1%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -12.2% -8.0% -59.8%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -8.0% 8.3% -13.3%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -4.2% 5.4% -0.8%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -12.0% 344.6% -169.4%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -4.5% -3.3% -149.9%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricMAAESSESBA
Gross margin – – –
EBITDA margin 57.1% 64.9% 22.1%
Operating margin – 32.5% -4.4%
Pretax margin 18.8% 18.9% 1.3%
Net margin 18.0% 21.5% 0.6%
FCF margin 21.4% 30.1% -55.8%
Operating cash flow margin 45.6% 58.0% 29.0%
Return on equity 7.3% 7.9% 0.5%
Return on assets 3.4% 3.4% 0.2%
Return on invested capital 5.3% – -1.1%
Return on capital employed – – –
Asset turnover 0.2x 0.1x 0.2x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.5x 2.6x 24.6x
Stock comp / revenue 0.9% 0.6% 3.9%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricMAAESSESBA
Debt / assets 47.5% 51.9% 22.4%
Debt / equity 1.0x 1.2x 0.5x
Net debt / EBITDA 4.5x 5.3x 5.0x
Debt / FCF 12.0x 11.5x -2.2x
Liabilities / assets 53.5% 57.5% 58.1%
Equity / assets 46.5% 42.5% 41.9%
Interest coverage 3.1x 2.4x -0.3x
Current ratio – – –
Quick ratio – – –
Cash ratio – – –
Altman Z-score – – –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricMAAESSESBA
Dividend yield 5.1% 3.8% 3.3%
Net buyback yield 0.9% 0.3% –
Shareholder yield 6.0% 4.1% 3.3%
Payout ratio (earnings) 173.3% 151.6% –
Payout ratio (FCF) 150.2% 114.2% –
Dividend growth (1Y) 2.0% 4.0% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 5.1% 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.

ConsensusMAAESSESBA
Forward P/E 33.5xFY2026 52.9xFY2026 –
EPS, next fiscal year $3.57FY2026 $5.21FY2026 –
EPS growth, next FY -5.6%FY2026 -49.9%FY2026 –
EPS growth, the year after -9.0% +29.6% –
Revenue, next fiscal year $2.29BFY2026 $2.05BFY2026 –
Revenue growth, next FY +3.8%FY2026 +9.2%FY2026 –
Revenue growth, the year after +1.5% -7.5% –

Institutional Ownership

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

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.

MAAESSESBA
MAA 1.00 0.80 0.17
ESS 0.80 1.00 0.19
ESBA 0.17 0.19 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, MAA, ESS and ESBA?

Essex Property Trust (ESS) is the largest by market capitalisation: Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) $13.78B, Essex Property Trust (ESS) $17.75B, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) $1.30B.

Which stock is cheaper, MAA, ESS and ESBA?

Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 34.5x, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 42.9x, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) 256.9x). On next year's consensus earnings, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) is cheapest (Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 33.5x, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 52.9x). 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: Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) +0.8%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) +4.7%, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) +2.0%.

Which company is more profitable?

Essex Property Trust (ESS) has the highest net margin (Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 18.0%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 21.5%, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) 0.6%). On return on invested capital, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) leads (Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 5.3%, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) -1.1%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Essex Property Trust (ESS) returned the most: Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) -10.8%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) +4.0%, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) -39.1%. Over five years, Essex Property Trust (ESS) compounded fastest (Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) -10.1%/yr, Essex Property Trust (ESS) -4.2%/yr, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) -14.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) has the highest dividend yield: Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 0.05%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 0.04%, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) 0.00%. Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) has been the steadiest (Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 19.8%, Essex Property Trust (ESS) 20.2%, Empire State Realty OP (ESBA) 51.8%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

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

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) 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.