If you are looking for a trio of reliable dividend stocks, this collection of hard asset stocks offers high yields and growth potential. The real estate investment trust (REIT) sector is known for offering investors a high level of dividend yield. That makes sense, since REITs were specifically designed to pass income on to shareholders via dividends. But if you're looking for the most reliable dividend-paying REITs, you'll want to focus on Federal Realty (FRT -0.27%), Realty Income (O -0.32%), and Essex Pr ...

Shares of Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) have rallied 23.1% in the past six months, outperforming the industry's growth of 16.2%. This residential REIT, which has a robust property base in the West Coast market, is poised to benefit from the healthy demand for its residential units. It is also banking on technology, scale and organizational capabilities to drive growth. Analysts also seem bullish on this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company's 2024 FFO per share has been ...

Core Insights - Essex Property Trust, Inc. is well-positioned to benefit from strong demand for residential units in the West Coast market, leveraging technology and organizational capabilities for growth [1][5][8] Financial Performance - In Q2 2024, Essex Property reported core funds from operations (FFO) per share of $3.94, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.84 and reflecting a 4.5% year-over-year improvement [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company's 2024 FFO per share has been revised upward by 0.8% to $15.53, indicating positive analyst sentiment [3] Market Position and Growth Drivers - The company has a strong property base in the West Coast, benefiting from higher median household incomes and a greater percentage of renters [6][7] - The slowing layoffs in the tech industry and the return to office trend are expected to increase renter demand in the West Coast markets [7] Technology and Operational Efficiency - Essex Property is focusing on technology to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs, which is expected to positively impact both top-line and bottom-line growth [8] Financial Health - As of July 26, 2024, the company had $1.1 billion in liquidity, maintaining a net debt-to-adjusted EBITDAre ratio of 5.4X [9][10] - The company holds investment-grade ratings (Baa1/Stable and BBB+/Stable) and has a trailing 12-month return on equity (ROE) of 9.14%, significantly higher than the industry average of 3.17% [11] Dividend Policy - Essex Property has consistently raised its annual cash dividend, with a 6.1% increase to $2.45 per share announced in February 2024, marking the 30th consecutive annual dividend increase [12][13]

Core Viewpoint - Essex Property Trust Inc. is a well-established real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on multi-family properties along the US West Coast, benefiting from enduring demand and limited supply in its markets [1][2][11] Company Overview - Founded in 1971, Essex Property Trust has a market capitalization of $18 billion and operates approximately 62,000 apartment homes across more than 250 communities [1] - The company primarily focuses on Southern California (42% of NOI), Northern California (40%), and Seattle (18%) [1] Market Dynamics - The West Coast's unique geography and heavy regulation create a supply-constrained environment, enhancing the value of existing properties [2] - High demand for housing is driven by desirable job markets, temperate climates, and natural beauty, making California the most populous state in the US [2] Dividend Profile - Essex Property Trust has increased its dividend for 30 consecutive years, qualifying it as a Dividend Aristocrat [3] - The 10-year dividend growth rate stands at 6.8%, with a current yield of 3.5%, which is competitive compared to the market [3][4] - The payout ratio is 63.2%, indicating a safer dividend compared to many other REITs [5] Revenue and Earnings Growth - Revenue grew from $971 million in FY 2014 to $1.7 billion in FY 2023, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% [6] - Funds from operations (FFO) per share increased from $7.89 to $15.24 over the same period, with a CAGR of 7.6% [6] - Recent quarterly reports show a 4.5% year-over-year increase in Core FFO/share, with occupancy rates around 96% [6] Financial Position - The company has over $6 billion in long-term debt, with a net debt/EBITDA ratio of 5.4, indicating a stable financial position [7] - The weighted average interest rate on total debt is 3.5%, and the company holds investment-grade credit ratings [7] Valuation - The stock trades at a forward P/FFO ratio of 17.9 and a P/CF ratio of 17.4, both of which are reasonable compared to historical averages [8] - A dividend discount model analysis suggests a fair value of $298.20, indicating potential undervaluation [8] Conclusion - Essex Property Trust is positioned as a high-quality REIT with strong growth prospects, a solid dividend history, and a favorable market position, making it an attractive option for long-term dividend growth investors [11]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported core FFO per share of $3.94, exceeding the midpoint of guidance by $0.11, driven by higher same-property revenues and lower operating expenses [10][11] - Full-year core FFO guidance raised by $0.27 to $15.50 per share, representing a 3.1% year-over-year growth [12][11] - Same property NOI expected to grow by 2.3% at the midpoint, a 90 basis points improvement from prior guidance [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Blended rent growth for the same property portfolio was 3.4% for the quarter, with Seattle achieving the highest growth at 4.9% [6][7] - Northern California achieved 3.3% blended rent growth, while Southern California reported 2.8% growth [8][6] - The occupancy rate for the overall portfolio was healthy at 96.2% [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Job openings in the top 20 technology companies in Essex markets totaled over 17,000, a 150% increase from the 2023 trough [4] - Northern California experienced positive net domestic migration for the first time since pre-COVID, indicating a recovery in housing demand [4][5] - The rental affordability metrics improved, with it being 2.8 times more expensive to own than to rent, compared to 1.7 times in 2019 [5] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on maximizing shareholder value and enhancing growth through selective acquisitions, having closed over $500 million in acquisitions [9] - The company remains disciplined in its investment strategy, looking for significant premiums over current market cap rates for new developments [30][31] - The company is optimistic about the transaction market, with increased investor demand for well-located multifamily properties [9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the demand for West Coast multifamily housing has exceeded expectations, particularly in Northern California and Seattle [3] - The company is prepared to shift to an occupancy strategy as appropriate, while maintaining the option to minimize rental growth [8] - Management expressed confidence in the ability to recover from delinquency issues, with significant improvements noted [19][65] Other Important Information - The company has no remaining consolidated maturities in 2024 and maintains a healthy leverage level with net debt to EBITDA at 5.4 times [14] - The company expects between $125 million to $175 million in preferred equity redemptions for the year [13] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is driving the pullback in renewal rate growth? - Management indicated that the pullback is a tactical move to drive occupancy as they approach the seasonal slower time of demand, not due to any red flags in fundamentals [15][16] Question: How has new lease growth trended across regions? - New lease rates showed slight deceleration in Southern California, more significant deceleration in Northern California, and minimal deceleration in Seattle [17] Question: What is the expectation for bad debt levels? - Management expects bad debt to hold around 1% for the rest of the year, with recent improvements noted [19][22] Question: How does the delinquency issue in the portfolio compare to the broader market? - Management noted that the court backlog for delinquency processing has improved significantly, aiding recovery efforts [65] Question: What is the outlook for multifamily supply growth? - Some properties in Southern California were delayed, pushing about 2,700 units into next year, while Seattle saw some supply pushed up by about 2,000 units [63] Question: How is the company approaching acquisitions in the current market? - The company is seeing increased transaction activity and is evaluating opportunities in urban markets, maintaining a disciplined approach [51][40]

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As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately. Revenues- Rental and other property While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health. Financial Occupancies - Same-Property Po ...

Company Performance - Essex Property Trust reported quarterly funds from operations (FFO) of $3.94 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.84 per share, and up from $3.77 per share a year ago [1] - The company achieved revenues of $442.36 million for the quarter ended June 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.10%, compared to $416.04 million in the same quarter last year [6] - The FFO surprise for the quarter was 2.60%, following a previous surprise of 2.41% [5][11] Market Comparison - Essex Property Trust shares have increased approximately 15.4% since the beginning of the year, compared to a 14.5% gain for the S&P 500 [2] - The company has outperformed consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters [6][11] Future Outlook - The current consensus FFO estimate for the upcoming quarter is $3.82 on revenues of $435.96 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $15.41 on revenues of $1.73 billion [3] - The sustainability of the stock's price movement will depend on management's commentary during the earnings call [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Essex Property Trust is currently favorable, leading to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) for the stock, indicating expected outperformance in the near future [12] Industry Context - Essex Property Trust is part of the Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Residential industry, which is currently ranked in the top 22% of over 250 Zacks industries [4] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in estimate revisions, suggesting that investors can track these revisions for insights [9]

Exhibit 99.1 Second Quarter 2024 Earnings Release and Supplemental Data | Earnings Press Release | Pages 1 - 9 | | --- | --- | | Consolidated Operating Results | S-1 & S-2 | | Consolidated Funds from Operations | S-3 | | Consolidated Balance Sheets | S-4 | | Debt Summary | S-5 | | Capitalization Data, Public Bond Covenants, Credit Ratings and Selected Credit Ratios | S-6 | | Portfolio Summary by County | S-7 | | Operating Income by Quarter | S-8 | | Same-Property Revenue Results by County, Quarter-to-Date | ...

For the second quarter, we expect same-store property revenue growth of 2.9% and, consequently, net operating However, the struggle to lure renters is expected to have persisted in the second quarter as supply volumes are likely to have remained elevated in some of its markets. Such a competitive landscape limits the company's ability to increase rents and occupancy levels, restricting its growth momentum to some extent. Moreover, outmigration and job losses are expected to affect apartment demand. Essex Pr ...