AAT vs. ESS
AAT (American Assets Trust, Inc.) and ESS (Essex Property Trust, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Real Estate sector — AAT in REIT - Diversified, ESS in REIT - Residential. Over the past 10 years, AAT returned -2.55%/yr vs 5.71%/yr for ESS. Their 0.59 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently.
Performance
AAT vs. ESS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AAT achieves a 25.82% return, which is significantly higher than ESS's 13.36% return. Over the past 10 years, AAT has underperformed ESS with an annualized return of -2.55%, while ESS has yielded a comparatively higher 5.71% annualized return.
AAT
- 1D
- -0.43%
- 1M
- -8.31%
- 6M
- 26.83%
- YTD
- 25.82%
- 1Y
- 28.61%
- 3Y*
- 7.27%
- 5Y*
- -4.36%
- 10Y*
- -2.55%
- ALL TIME*
- 4.24%
ESS
- 1D
- 0.29%
- 1M
- -3.34%
- 6M
- 16.29%
- YTD
- 13.36%
- 1Y
- 16.38%
- 3Y*
- 9.76%
- 5Y*
- 1.10%
- 10Y*
- 5.71%
- ALL TIME*
- 13.67%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $11.13M | $9.84M | $10.17M | |
| $159.28M | $150.54M | $140.97M |
AAT vs. ESS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AAT American Assets Trust, Inc. | 25.82% | -22.96% | 23.32% | -9.58% | -26.36% | 34.03% | -35.04% | 17.11% | 8.14% | -8.89% |
ESS Essex Property Trust, Inc. | 13.36% | -4.98% | 18.36% | 21.97% | -37.76% | 52.40% | -18.09% | 25.92% | 4.83% | 6.82% |
Correlation
The correlation between AAT and ESS is 0.44, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.44 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.54 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.56 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.58 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 13, 2011 | 0.59 |
The correlation between AAT and ESS shifts across timeframes, from 0.44 (1 year) to 0.59 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
AAT:
$1.42B
ESS:
$18.51B
AAT:
$0.27
ESS:
$4.91
AAT:
86.65
ESS:
58.61
AAT:
3.99
ESS:
4.10
AAT:
4.03
ESS:
7.23
AAT:
$439.74M
ESS:
$1.93B
AAT:
$266.55M
ESS:
$1.35B
AAT:
$231.74M
ESS:
$855.19M
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Return for Risk
AAT vs. ESS — Risk / Return Rank
AAT
ESS
AAT vs. ESS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Assets Trust, Inc. (AAT) and Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| AAT | ESS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.41 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.54 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.23 | 1.15 | +0.07 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.06 | 1.72 | +0.34 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.44 | 4.66 | -0.21 |
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Drawdowns
AAT vs. ESS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AAT drawdown since its inception was -61.85%, roughly equal to the maximum ESS drawdown of -62.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AAT and ESS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AAT | ESS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -61.85% | -62.67% | +0.82% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.97% | -9.59% | -4.38% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -38.02% | -20.77% | -17.25% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -56.18% | -43.87% | -12.31% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -61.85% | -44.84% | -17.01% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -34.61% | -5.71% | -28.90% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -20.26% | -10.84% | -9.42% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.46% | 3.53% | +2.93% |
Volatility
AAT vs. ESS - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for American Assets Trust, Inc. (AAT) is 6.43%, while Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) has a volatility of 7.00%. This indicates that AAT experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ESS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AAT | ESS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.43% | 7.00% | -0.57% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 17.23% | 14.65% | +2.58% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 23.26% | 19.78% | +3.48% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 27.93% | 23.85% | +4.08% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 31.19% | 25.82% | +5.37% |
Dividends
AAT vs. ESS - Dividend Comparison
AAT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.90%, more than ESS's 3.58% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AAT American Assets Trust, Inc. | 5.90% | 7.18% | 5.10% | 5.86% | 4.83% | 3.09% | 3.46% | 2.48% | 2.71% | 2.75% | 2.34% | 2.47% |
ESS Essex Property Trust, Inc. | 3.58% | 3.88% | 2.57% | 3.73% | 4.15% | 2.37% | 3.50% | 2.59% | 3.03% | 2.90% | 2.75% | 2.41% |
Financials
AAT vs. ESS - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between American Assets Trust, Inc. and Essex Property Trust, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
AAT vs. ESS - Profitability Comparison
AAT - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, American Assets Trust, Inc. reported a gross profit of 67.92M and revenue of 109.48M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 62.0%.
ESS - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Essex Property Trust, Inc. reported a gross profit of 348.03M and revenue of 489.05M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 71.2%.
AAT - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, American Assets Trust, Inc. reported an operating income of 26.30M and revenue of 109.48M, resulting in an operating margin of 24.0%.
ESS - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Essex Property Trust, Inc. reported an operating income of 109.37M and revenue of 489.05M, resulting in an operating margin of 22.4%.
AAT - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, American Assets Trust, Inc. reported a net income of 5.18M and revenue of 109.48M, resulting in a net margin of 4.7%.
ESS - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Essex Property Trust, Inc. reported a net income of -116.68M and revenue of 489.05M, resulting in a net margin of -23.9%.
Frequently Asked Questions
AAT and ESS have a correlation of 0.44, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
ESS has higher volatility (7.00%) compared to AAT (6.43%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AAT dropped -61.85% vs ESS's -62.67%.
AAT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.24 vs 0.83), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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