Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) Updates Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

by · The Cerbat Gem

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR – Get Free Report) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.940-0.980 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.590. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Equity Residential also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.020-4.140 EPS.

Equity Residential Price Performance

NYSE EQR traded up $1.31 on Friday, reaching $63.08. 1,179,334 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,436,728. Equity Residential has a 12 month low of $58.38 and a 12 month high of $75.86. The company has a market cap of $24.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.84, a P/E/G ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.76. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $61.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $62.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.04 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $781.91 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $786.35 million. Equity Residential had a net margin of 37.58% and a return on equity of 10.30%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.00 EPS. Equity Residential has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.940-0.980 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.020-4.140 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Equity Residential will post 3.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equity Residential Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd were issued a $0.6925 dividend. This represents a $2.77 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. Equity Residential’s payout ratio is presently 91.42%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on EQR. Stifel Nicolaus set a $78.50 target price on shares of Equity Residential in a report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Equity Residential from $63.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Piper Sandler set a $78.00 target price on Equity Residential in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Equity Residential from $75.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Equity Residential from $68.00 to $65.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.94.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Equity Residential

Equity Residential News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Equity Residential this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Management raised guidance sharply — FY‑2026 EPS guidance of 4.020–4.140 and Q1‑2026 EPS guidance of 0.940–0.980, both well above prior Wall Street consensus; that forward outlook is the main driver of the stock’s upside today. Press Release
  • Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and investors are re-evaluating EQR’s investment narrative given the aggressive guidance — market commentary highlights the potential shift from slower-growth REIT expectations to stronger near-term earnings visibility. Article Title
  • Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance remains cautious overall — BTIG maintained a Hold/neutral view in late January, signaling some analysts see the outlook as balanced between upside from guidance and limited longer‑term growth. Article Title
  • Neutral Sentiment: Key operational metrics are mixed — commentary and previews note occupancy and NOI gains, but investors should watch same-store trends and leasing cadence in coming quarters. Article Title
  • Negative Sentiment: Q4 normalized FFO of $1.03 slightly missed consensus (by ~$0.01) and revenue came in below estimates — higher operating expenses offset NOI and occupancy improvements, a short‑term earnings headwind. Article Title
  • Negative Sentiment: Revenue came up short versus forecasts, and some outlets note the topline miss despite adjusted EPS commentary — keep an eye on rent growth vs. expense trends. Article Title

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Equity Residential by 3.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 7,489 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $536,000 after buying an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Equity Residential by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,589 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $750,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in Equity Residential by 25.6% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,235 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC boosted its position in Equity Residential by 8.3% during the second quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC now owns 4,654 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $314,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the period. Finally, Fulcrum Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in Equity Residential during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 92.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equity Residential Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that acquires, develops, owns and operates rental apartment properties. Headquartered in Chicago, the company focuses on delivering professionally managed, market-rate apartment homes and related services to renters. Its operations cover a range of property types, including high-rise and mid-rise assets, with amenities and on-site management designed to support resident retention and occupancy.

The company’s core activities include property acquisitions, development and redevelopment, leasing, and day-to-day property management.

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