Sifting through countless of stocks in the Residential REITs industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc.

UDR, Inc. is a S&P 500 company, is a leading multifamily real estate investment trust with a demonstrated performance history of delivering superior and dependable returns by successfully managing, buying, selling, developing and redeveloping attractive real estate properties in targeted U.S. markets. As of June 30, 2026, UDR owned or had an ownership position in 60,259 apartment homes, including 685 apartment homes under development. For over 54 years, UDR has delivered long-term value to shareholders, the best standard of service to residents and the highest quality experience for associates. UDR, Inc. was incorporated in 1972 in Maryland, and is based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Essex Property Trust, Inc., an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust. The firm acquires, develops, redevelops, and manages multifamily residential properties in selected West Coast markets. Essex currently has ownership interests in 258 apartment communities comprising over 62,000 apartment homes with an additional property in active development. Essex Property Trust, Inc. was incorporated in 1971 in Maryland and is based in San Mateo, United States.

Latest Residential REITs and UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust, Inc. Stock News

As of September 1, 2026, UDR, Inc. had a $11.8 billion market capitalization, compared to the Residential REITs median of $3.8 million. UDR, Inc.’s stock is NA in 2026, NA in the previous five trading days and down 6.82% in the past year.

Currently, UDR, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 23.4. UDR, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.8 billion with a 29.6% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -0.1%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.005 per share for the current fiscal year. UDR, Inc. currently has a 4.7% dividend yield.

Currently, Essex Property Trust, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 43.4. Essex Property Trust, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $2.0 billion with a 20.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 3.1%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $5.603 per share for the current fiscal year. Essex Property Trust, Inc. currently has a 3.7% dividend yield.

How We Compare UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
UDR, Inc.	UDR	A
Essex Property Trust, Inc.	ESS	B

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

UDR, Inc. has a Growth Score of 100, which is Very Strong. Essex Property Trust, Inc. has a Growth Score of 73, which is Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: UDR, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Growth Grade breakdown above, UDR, Inc. has a more attractive growth grade than Essex Property Trust, Inc.. For investors who focus solely on how a company is growing relative to other companies in the same industry, UDR, Inc. could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
UDR, Inc.	UDR	B
Essex Property Trust, Inc.	ESS	B

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

UDR, Inc. has a Quality Score of 70, which is Strong. Essex Property Trust, Inc. has a Quality Score of 65, which is Strong.

The Quality Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Quality Grade breakdown above, both UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc. have a grade of B. For investors who focus solely on a company’s overall quality, you will need to conduct further research into both companies to see if they are a good fit for your portfolio. As a good rule of thumb, you should always analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before choosing a company to invest in.

UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
UDR, Inc.	UDR	na
Essex Property Trust, Inc.	ESS	D

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

UDR, Inc. does not have a meaningful Earnings Estimate Score. Essex Property Trust, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 35, which is Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust or Inc. has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Other UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc. Grades

In addition to Quality, Estimate Revisions and Growth, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Momentum.

Momentum grades help uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust or Inc. Stock?

Overall, UDR, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 100, Estimate Revisions Score of and Quality Score of 70.

Essex Property Trust, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 73, Estimate Revisions Score of 35 and Quality Score of 65.

Comparing UDR, Inc., Essex Property Trust and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.