Which has the lower trailing P/E, ESS or SBAC?

SBAC has the lower trailing P/E: ESS trades at 32.66 and SBAC at 18.15. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, ESS or SBAC?

Over the past five years, SBAC grew revenue faster — ESS at a 5.52% CAGR versus SBAC at 6.18%.

Does ESS or SBAC pay a bigger dividend?

ESS yields 3.55% and SBAC yields 2.73% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ESS or SBAC more profitable?

SBAC runs the higher net margin — ESS at 30.17% versus SBAC at 35.66%.

How have ESS and SBAC total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, ESS delivered 6.34% and SBAC delivered 5.32% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) vs SBA Communications Corporation (SBAC)

A side-by-side comparison of Essex Property Trust, Inc. and SBA Communications Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 28, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

ESS

Essex Property Trust, Inc.

$18.93B

$294.52Real EstateDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

SBAC

SBA Communications Corporation

$18.55B

$174.93Real EstateDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — ESS vs SBAC

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 27y

ESS +2481.2%SBAC +2032.4%ESS compounded faster

ESS SBAC

ESS vs SBAC: by the numbers

•ESS is the larger company ($18.93B vs $18.55B market cap).
•SBAC trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (18.15 vs 32.66 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•SBAC converts more revenue to profit (35.66% vs 30.17% net margin).
•SBAC grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.18% vs 5.52% CAGR).
•ESS pays the higher dividend yield (3.55% vs 2.73%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ESS	SBAC
P/E ratio	32.66	18.15
Forward P/E	48.82	23.23
P/S ratio	9.82	6.42
P/B ratio	3.45	N/A
PEG ratio	8.88	0.48
EV / EBITDA	19.02	19.09

Profitability

Metric	ESS	SBAC
Gross margin	69.44%	41.61%
Operating margin	38.38%	47.63%
Net margin	30.17%	35.66%
ROE	10.59%	-21.71%
ROIC	5.98%	11.03%

Dividends

Metric	ESS	SBAC
Dividend yield	3.55%	2.73%
Payout ratio	99.14%	48.02%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ESS	SBAC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	5.52%	6.18%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	3.68%	113.83%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	0.96%	-11.33%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ESS or SBAC?: SBAC has the lower trailing P/E: ESS trades at 32.66 and SBAC at 18.15. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, ESS or SBAC?: Over the past five years, SBAC grew revenue faster — ESS at a 5.52% CAGR versus SBAC at 6.18%.
Does ESS or SBAC pay a bigger dividend?: ESS yields 3.55% and SBAC yields 2.73% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ESS or SBAC more profitable?: SBAC runs the higher net margin — ESS at 30.17% versus SBAC at 35.66%.
How have ESS and SBAC total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, ESS delivered 6.34% and SBAC delivered 5.32% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ESS analysis Full SBAC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Essex Property Trust P/E ratio SBA Communications P/E ratio Essex Property Trust dividend yield SBA Communications dividend yield Essex Property Trust ROE SBA Communications ROE Essex Property Trust operating margin SBA Communications operating margin Essex Property Trust revenue growth SBA Communications revenue growth Essex Property Trust free cash flow SBA Communications free cash flow

Essex Property Trust & SBA Communications appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks 25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield 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 July 28, 2026.