ESS vs. AVB
ESS (Essex Property Trust, Inc.) and AVB (AvalonBay Communities, Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the REIT - Residential industry within the Real Estate sector. Over the past 10 years, ESS returned 6.49%/yr vs 4.47%/yr for AVB. A 0.70 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.
Performance
ESS vs. AVB - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ESS achieves a 10.01% return, which is significantly higher than AVB's 4.63% return. Over the past 10 years, ESS has outperformed AVB with an annualized return of 6.49%, while AVB has yielded a comparatively lower 4.47% annualized return.
ESS
- 1D
- -1.20%
- 1M
- 7.00%
- YTD
- 10.01%
- 6M
- 14.13%
- 1Y
- 5.10%
- 3Y*
- 10.51%
- 5Y*
- 1.70%
- 10Y*
- 6.49%
AVB
- 1D
- -1.11%
- 1M
- 1.92%
- YTD
- 4.63%
- 6M
- 7.83%
- 1Y
- -4.05%
- 3Y*
- 3.50%
- 5Y*
- 1.10%
- 10Y*
- 4.47%
ESS vs. AVB - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ESS Essex Property Trust, Inc. | 10.01% | -4.98% | 18.36% | 21.97% | -37.76% | 52.40% | -18.09% | 25.92% | 4.83% | 6.82% |
AVB AvalonBay Communities, Inc. | 4.63% | -14.60% | 21.44% | 20.34% | -33.92% | 62.17% | -20.27% | 24.10% | 1.00% | 3.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between ESS and AVB is 0.85, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.85 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.86 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.88 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.86 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 8, 1994 | 0.70 |
The correlation between ESS and AVB shifts across timeframes, from 0.70 (all time) to 0.88 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
ESS:
$9.59
AVB:
$8.02
ESS:
29.41
AVB:
23.40
ESS:
2.06
AVB:
13.46
ESS:
7.14
AVB:
8.72
ESS:
$1.91B
AVB:
$3.06B
ESS:
$1.32B
AVB:
$2.08B
ESS:
$1.44B
AVB:
$1.99B
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Return for Risk
ESS vs. AVB — Risk / Return Rank
ESS
AVB
ESS vs. AVB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) and AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (AVB). 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.
| ESS | AVB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.45 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.61 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.06 | 0.98 | +0.08 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.31 | -0.19 | +0.51 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.52 | -0.37 | +0.89 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| ESS | AVB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.25 | -0.20 | +0.45 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.07 | 0.05 | +0.02 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.25 | 0.18 | +0.07 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.50 | 0.42 | +0.08 |
Drawdowns
ESS vs. AVB - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ESS drawdown since its inception was -62.67%, smaller than the maximum AVB drawdown of -70.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESS and AVB.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ESS | AVB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -62.67% | -70.04% | +7.37% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -16.49% | -20.87% | +4.38% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -20.77% | -29.40% | +8.63% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -43.87% | -38.36% | -5.51% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -44.84% | -46.91% | +2.07% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -8.50% | -16.71% | +8.21% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.86% | -11.74% | +0.88% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 9.80% | 10.95% | -1.15% |
Volatility
ESS vs. AVB - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) is 5.19%, while AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (AVB) has a volatility of 5.81%. This indicates that ESS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AVB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ESS | AVB | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.19% | 5.81% | -0.62% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.23% | 15.17% | -0.94% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 20.86% | 20.23% | +0.63% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.71% | 22.21% | +1.50% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 25.82% | 24.69% | +1.13% |
Dividends
ESS vs. AVB - Dividend Comparison
ESS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.65%, less than AVB's 3.75% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AVB AvalonBay Communities, Inc. | 3.75% | 3.86% | 3.09% | 3.53% | 3.94% | 2.52% | 3.96% | 2.90% | 3.38% | 3.18% | 3.05% | 2.72% |
ESS Essex Property Trust, Inc. | 3.65% | 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. AVB - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Essex Property Trust, Inc. and AvalonBay Communities, 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. AVB - Profitability Comparison
ESS - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Essex Property Trust, Inc. reported a gross profit of 343.50M and revenue of 484.76M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 70.9%.
AVB - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AvalonBay Communities, Inc. reported a gross profit of 521.68M and revenue of 770.28M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 67.7%.
ESS - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Essex Property Trust, Inc. reported an operating income of 155.19M and revenue of 484.76M, resulting in an operating margin of 32.0%.
AVB - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AvalonBay Communities, Inc. reported an operating income of 218.54M and revenue of 770.28M, resulting in an operating margin of 28.4%.
ESS - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Essex Property Trust, Inc. reported a net income of -6.02M and revenue of 484.76M, resulting in a net margin of -1.2%.
AVB - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AvalonBay Communities, Inc. reported a net income of 325.73M and revenue of 770.28M, resulting in a net margin of 42.3%.
Frequently Asked Questions
ESS and AVB have a correlation of 0.85, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
AVB has higher volatility (5.81%) compared to ESS (5.19%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ESS dropped -62.67% vs AVB's -70.04%.
ESS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.25 vs -0.20), 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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