-- CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:
We lower our target by $15 to $250 using a narrower equity risk premium and a forward P/FFO of 15.5x, which is in line with the multifamily residential REIT average. We keep our 2026 FFO estimate at $16.15 and lower 2027's by $0.05 to $16.45 on respective revenue projections of $1.94B and $1.98B. Rental revenue is not yet rebounding to historical growth levels. Across the industry, we are seeing inflation in key operating expenses exceeding revenue growth, and this leads to modest gains in cash NOI growth Y/Y. We expect these market conditions to continue as pricing power for ESS and its peers seems to have eased. In particular, ESS has a West Coast portfolio profile that is exposed to significant job layoffs in the technology sector. In our opinion, we have not yet seen the tail risk of major announcements just released in recent weeks. ESS has the challenge of complying with strict housing guidelines in California, leading to the trust historically underperforming peers in other parts of the country.