Essex Property Trust(US:ESS) ZACKS·2025-04-30 17:01Core Insights - Essex Property Trust Inc. (ESS) reported Q1 2025 core funds from operations (FFO) per share of $3.97, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.92 and reflecting a 3.7% year-over-year improvement [1] - Total revenues reached $464.6 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $459.5 million, with an 8.8% year-over-year increase [2] Financial Performance - Same-property revenues increased by 3.4% year-over-year, outperforming the estimate of 2.5%, while same-property operating expenses rose by 3.8%, slightly below the estimate of 4% [3] - Same-property net operating income (NOI) grew by 3.3% year-over-year, exceeding the estimate of 1.8% [3] - Financial occupancy remained stable at 96.3%, unchanged year-over-year and up 40 basis points sequentially, surpassing the estimate of 95.7% [3] Portfolio Activity - In Q1 2025, ESS acquired three apartment communities with 619 units in Northern California for $345.4 million [4] - The company sold a 255-unit community in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA for $127 million in February 2025 [4] - Subsequent to the quarter, ESS sold a 350-unit community in Santa Ana, CA for $239.6 million, reflecting a valuation of approximately $685,000 per unit [4] Balance Sheet Position - As of March 31, 2025, ESS had $1.4 billion in liquidity, including undrawn capacity on unsecured credit facilities, cash, and marketable securities [5] - Cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash, increased to $107.9 million from $75.9 million at the end of the previous quarter [5] - No shares were repurchased through the stock repurchase plan during the first quarter [5] 2025 Guidance - For Q2 2025, ESS projects core FFO per share in the range of $3.90-$4.02, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate at $3.98 [6] - The full-year 2025 guidance for core FFO per share is projected between $15.56-$16.06, aligning with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.98 [6] - The full-year guidance is based on same-property revenue growth projections of 2.25-3.75%, operating expense increases of 3.25-4.25%, and NOI expansion of 1.4-4% [7]