-- CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:
EQR delivered Q1 2026 FFO of $0.99, beating consensus by $0.02, though rental revenue of $780M slightly missed expectations. The company's blended lease rate of 1.5% remained flat Y/Y, with new lease rates declining 2.8% due to incentives offset by strong renewal rates of 4.7%. We maintain our Hold rating based on operating expense pressure suppressing cash NOI growth in 2026. Management guides for 2026 same-store revenue growth of 1.2%-3.2%, expense growth of 3.0%-4.0%, and cash NOI growth of 0.5%-2.5%, with strength expected in 2H 2026. EQR's coastal market strategy continues demonstrating value, with San Francisco leading at 6.5% revenue growth and New York at 4.6%, while expansion markets like Denver (-5.9%) and Atlanta (-2.0%) face new supply pressure. EQR has premium coastal markets where limited new supply enables pricing power, though higher operating costs remain a risk. The development pipeline totals $863M for 1,824 units when complete. Planned property acquisitions are $165M in 2026.