Is ESS or FRT cheaper?

On trailing earnings, FRT is cheaper: ESS trades at a 31.88 P/E and FRT at 21.66.

Which has grown faster, ESS or FRT?

Over the past five years, FRT grew revenue faster — ESS at a 5.52% CAGR versus FRT at 9.79%.

Does ESS or FRT pay a bigger dividend?

ESS yields 3.63% and FRT yields 3.57% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ESS or FRT more profitable?

FRT runs the higher net margin — ESS at 30.17% versus FRT at 38.61%.

Which has been the better investment, ESS or FRT?

Over the past 10-year, ESS delivered the higher annualized total return — ESS at 6.54% versus FRT at 1.63%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) vs Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT)

FRT leads on 14 of 16 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Essex Property Trust, Inc. and Federal Realty Investment Trust across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

ESS

Essex Property Trust, Inc.

$18.23B

$283.75Real Estate

FRT

Federal Realty Investment Trust

$10.87B

$125.84Real Estate

Total return — ESS vs FRT

growth of $100 · last 30y

ESS +1235.3%FRT +475.1%ESS compounded faster

ESS FRT

ESS vs FRT: by the numbers

•ESS is the larger company ($18.23B vs $10.87B market cap).
•FRT trades at the lower earnings multiple (21.66 vs 31.88 P/E).
•FRT converts more revenue to profit (38.61% vs 30.17% net margin).
•FRT grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.79% vs 5.52% CAGR).
•ESS pays the higher dividend yield (3.63% vs 3.57%).

Which is better, ESS or FRT?

Metric tally: ESS 2 · FRT 14

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueFRT(lower P/E)

GrowthFRT(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityFRT(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	ESS	FRT
P/E ratio	31.88	21.66●
Forward P/E	46.85	40.88●
P/S ratio	9.59	8.32●
P/B ratio	3.37	3.29●
PEG ratio	8.66	0.53●
EV / EBITDA	17.12	14.46●
FCF yield	5.27%●	4.85%

Profitability

Metric	ESS	FRT
Gross margin	69.44%●	53.60%
Operating margin	38.38%	41.58%●
Net margin	30.17%	38.61%●
ROE	10.59%	15.29%●
ROIC	6.13%	480.25%●

Dividends

Metric	ESS	FRT
Dividend yield	3.63%	3.57%
Payout ratio	98.94%	93.74%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ESS	FRT
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	5.52%	9.79%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	3.68%	24.22%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	8.49%	71.36%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	1.54%	4.67%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, ESS or FRT?: It depends on your goal. value: FRT (lower P/E); growth: FRT (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: FRT (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, FRT leads 14 to 2.
Is ESS or FRT cheaper?: On trailing earnings, FRT is cheaper: ESS trades at a 31.88 P/E and FRT at 21.66.
Which has grown faster, ESS or FRT?: Over the past five years, FRT grew revenue faster — ESS at a 5.52% CAGR versus FRT at 9.79%.
Does ESS or FRT pay a bigger dividend?: ESS yields 3.63% and FRT yields 3.57% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ESS or FRT more profitable?: FRT runs the higher net margin — ESS at 30.17% versus FRT at 38.61%.
Which has been the better investment, ESS or FRT?: Over the past 10-year, ESS delivered the higher annualized total return — ESS at 6.54% versus FRT at 1.63%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ESS analysis Full FRT analysis Interactive comparison tool

ESS & FRT appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Highest ROIC Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.