Is ESS or HST cheaper?

On trailing earnings, HST is cheaper: ESS trades at a 30.75 P/E and HST at 17.25.

Which has grown faster, ESS or HST?

Over the past five years, HST grew revenue faster — ESS at a 5.52% CAGR versus HST at 44.85%.

Does ESS or HST pay a bigger dividend?

ESS yields 3.76% and HST yields 3.80% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ESS or HST more profitable?

ESS runs the higher net margin — ESS at 30.17% versus HST at 16.40%.

Which has been the better investment, ESS or HST?

Over the past 10-year, HST delivered the higher annualized total return — ESS at 5.72% versus HST at 8.52%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) vs Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (HST)

HST leads on 9 of 13 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Essex Property Trust, Inc. and Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 18, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

ESS

Essex Property Trust, Inc.

$17.59B

$273.71Real Estate

HST

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

$17.13B

$25.01Real Estate

Total return — ESS vs HST

growth of $100 · last 30y

ESS +1173.1%HST +100.1%ESS compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

ESS HST

ESS vs HST: by the numbers

•ESS is the larger company ($17.59B vs $17.13B market cap).
•HST trades at the lower earnings multiple (17.25 vs 30.75 P/E).
•ESS converts more revenue to profit (30.17% vs 16.40% net margin).
•HST grew revenue faster over the past five years (44.85% vs 5.52% CAGR).
•HST pays the higher dividend yield (3.80% vs 3.76%).

Which is better, ESS or HST?

Metric tally: ESS 4 · HST 9

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueHST(lower P/E)

GrowthHST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ESS	HST
P/E ratio	30.75	17.25●
Forward P/E	45.19	19.40●
P/S ratio	9.25	2.81●
P/B ratio	3.25	2.54●
PEG ratio	8.36	1.44●
EV / EBITDA	16.68	10.08●

Profitability

Metric	ESS	HST
Gross margin	69.44%●	27.80%
Operating margin	38.38%●	14.31%
Net margin	30.17%●	16.40%
ROE	10.59%	14.81%●
ROIC	6.13%	6.04%

Dividends

Metric	ESS	HST
Dividend yield	3.76%	3.80%
Payout ratio	98.94%	86.36%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ESS	HST
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	5.52%	44.85%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	3.68%●	-2.24%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	1.67%	12.39%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, ESS or HST?: It depends on your goal. value: HST (lower P/E); growth: HST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR). Across all compared metrics, HST leads 9 to 4.
Is ESS or HST cheaper?: On trailing earnings, HST is cheaper: ESS trades at a 30.75 P/E and HST at 17.25.
Which has grown faster, ESS or HST?: Over the past five years, HST grew revenue faster — ESS at a 5.52% CAGR versus HST at 44.85%.
Does ESS or HST pay a bigger dividend?: ESS yields 3.76% and HST yields 3.80% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ESS or HST more profitable?: ESS runs the higher net margin — ESS at 30.17% versus HST at 16.40%.
Which has been the better investment, ESS or HST?: Over the past 10-year, HST delivered the higher annualized total return — ESS at 5.72% versus HST at 8.52%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ESS analysis Full HST analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Essex Property Trust P/E ratio Host Hotels & Resorts P/E ratio Essex Property Trust dividend yield Host Hotels & Resorts dividend yield Essex Property Trust ROE Host Hotels & Resorts ROE Essex Property Trust operating margin Host Hotels & Resorts operating margin Essex Property Trust revenue growth Host Hotels & Resorts revenue growth Essex Property Trust free cash flow Host Hotels & Resorts free cash flow

Essex Property Trust & Host Hotels & Resorts appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Fastest Revenue Growth 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 18, 2026.