ESS vs. AAT
ESS (Essex Property Trust, Inc.) and AAT (American Assets Trust, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Real Estate sector — ESS in REIT - Residential, AAT in REIT - Diversified. Over the past 10 years, ESS returned 5.52%/yr vs -2.40%/yr for AAT. Their 0.59 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently.
Performance
ESS vs. AAT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ESS achieves a 11.82% return, which is significantly lower than AAT's 28.66% return. Over the past 10 years, ESS has outperformed AAT with an annualized return of 5.52%, while AAT has yielded a comparatively lower -2.40% annualized return.
ESS
- 1D
- 0.81%
- 1M
- -4.76%
- 6M
- 15.04%
- YTD
- 11.82%
- 1Y
- 15.09%
- 3Y*
- 9.24%
- 5Y*
- 0.75%
- 10Y*
- 5.52%
- ALL TIME*
- 13.63%
AAT
- 1D
- -1.83%
- 1M
- -7.53%
- 6M
- 34.86%
- YTD
- 28.66%
- 1Y
- 34.75%
- 3Y*
- 8.55%
- 5Y*
- -3.42%
- 10Y*
- -2.40%
- ALL TIME*
- 4.39%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.29M | $9.62M | $9.98M | |
| $153.87M | $150.04M | $137.97M |
ESS vs. AAT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ESS Essex Property Trust, Inc. | 11.82% | -4.98% | 18.36% | 21.97% | -37.76% | 52.40% | -18.09% | 25.92% | 4.83% | 6.82% |
AAT American Assets Trust, Inc. | 28.66% | -22.96% | 23.32% | -9.58% | -26.36% | 34.03% | -35.04% | 17.11% | 8.14% | -8.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between ESS and AAT is 0.45, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.45 |
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 ESS and AAT shifts across timeframes, from 0.45 (1 year) to 0.59 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
ESS:
$18.26B
AAT:
$1.45B
ESS:
$4.91
AAT:
$0.27
ESS:
57.82
AAT:
88.61
ESS:
4.05
AAT:
4.08
ESS:
7.13
AAT:
4.12
ESS:
$1.93B
AAT:
$439.74M
ESS:
$1.35B
AAT:
$266.55M
ESS:
$855.19M
AAT:
$231.74M
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Return for Risk
ESS vs. AAT — Risk / Return Rank
ESS
AAT
ESS vs. AAT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) and American Assets Trust, Inc. (AAT). 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.
| ESS | AAT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.72 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.92 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.13 | 1.25 | -0.12 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.42 | 2.33 | -0.91 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.88 | 5.10 | -1.22 |
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Drawdowns
ESS vs. AAT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ESS drawdown since its inception was -62.67%, roughly equal to the maximum AAT drawdown of -61.85%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESS and AAT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ESS | AAT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -62.67% | -61.85% | -0.82% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.59% | -13.97% | +4.38% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -20.77% | -38.02% | +17.25% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -43.87% | -56.18% | +12.31% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -44.84% | -61.85% | +17.01% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.99% | -33.14% | +26.15% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.84% | -20.25% | +9.41% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.52% | 6.37% | -2.85% |
Volatility
ESS vs. AAT - Volatility Comparison
Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) has a higher volatility of 7.03% compared to American Assets Trust, Inc. (AAT) at 5.93%. This indicates that ESS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AAT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ESS | AAT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.03% | 5.93% | +1.10% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.74% | 16.89% | -2.15% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 20.09% | 23.11% | -3.02% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.84% | 27.94% | -4.10% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 25.82% | 31.17% | -5.35% |
Dividends
ESS vs. AAT - Dividend Comparison
ESS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.63%, less than AAT's 5.77% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AAT American Assets Trust, Inc. | 5.77% | 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. | 3.63% | 3.88% | 2.57% | 3.73% | 4.15% | 2.37% | 3.50% | 2.59% | 3.03% | 2.90% | 2.75% | 2.41% |
Financials
ESS vs. AAT - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Essex Property Trust, Inc. and American Assets 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
ESS vs. AAT - Profitability Comparison
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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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%.
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%.
Frequently Asked Questions
ESS and AAT have a correlation of 0.45, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
ESS has higher volatility (7.03%) compared to AAT (5.93%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ESS dropped -62.67% vs AAT's -61.85%.
AAT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.41 vs 0.69), 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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