Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

ESSEX PPTY TR INC (ESS)

604 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in ESS. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↓ -7
Streak
1Q ▼
Buyers last Q
49%

Smart Money Signals — ESS

Based on 607 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📉

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their ESS positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (98% of max)

98% of all-time peak
607 hedge funds hold ESS right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
〰️

Stable — ownership unchanged year-over-year

fund count last 6Q
The number of hedge funds holding ESS is almost the same as a year ago (-13 funds, -2% change). No significant rush to buy or sell — institutional backing is holding steady.
🟠

More sellers than buyers — 49% buying

293 buying309 selling
Last quarter: 309 funds reduced or exited vs 293 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.
⚠️

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-18 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 70 → 60 → 92 → 74. Each quarter fewer new institutions are entering. This usually means most funds that wanted in are already in — the stock is well-known but the pool of potential new buyers is shrinking.
🔒

68% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 68% conviction (2yr+) ■ 17% medium ■ 15% new
411 out of 607 hedge funds have held ESS for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares -5%, value -20%

Value
-20%
Shares
-4%
Last quarter: funds added -5% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -20%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
📈

Growing discovery — still being found

85 → 70 → 60 → 92 → 74 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 70 → 60 → 92 → 74. A growing number of institutions are discovering ESS each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.
🏛️

Deep conviction — 71% of holders stayed 2+ years

■ 71% veterans ■ 11% 1-2yr ■ 19% new
Of 616 current holders: 435 (71%) have held for over 2 years without selling. These are not momentum buyers — they have lived through drawdowns and stayed. A large veteran base acts as a stabilizing force during selloffs.
🏆

Elite ownership — 41% AUM from top-100 funds

41% from top-100 AUM funds
63 of 607 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 41% of total institutional value in ESS. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
3.3
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.3/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — ESS

In 2026 Q1, 293 hedge funds were net buyers of ESS (74 opened a new position, 219 added to an existing one), while 309 reduced or exited (228 trimmed, 81 sold completely) — a 49% buyer ratio, indicating roughly balanced activity. 41% of total institutional value in ESS is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting elite-tier ownership quality. Net fund flow last quarter: -7 funds (more exits than new entries). Total institutional holders: 607.

Hedge Fund Ownership: ESS

How many hedge funds hold ESS — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of ESS vs. share price

Market Analysis: ESS

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: ESS

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy ESSEX PPTY TR INC (ESS) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much ESS has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLRE) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 59d ago
ESS
+33.4%
XLRE
+8.4%

ESS outperformed XLRE by +25.0% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 14d ago
ESS
+3.5%
XLRE
+2.3%

Since the filing became public, ESS outperformed XLRE by +1.2% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Broad Consensus, Selective Conviction

Many quality funds hold this stock, but top-tier positions remain relatively small.

39 top-rated funds 3 high-conviction
Consensus
7.0
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
2.6
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: ESS
604 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in ESS. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 604 614 -1.63%
13F Shares 62M 65M -4.89%
Total Value $12.75B $15.95B -20.08%
New Positions 74 92 -18
Increased Positions 216 230 -14
Closed Positions 84 68 +16
Reduced Positions 223 200 +23
Total Calls 6 6 -
Total Puts 3 3 -
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.5 0.5 Bullish

Statistics: ESS

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Valuation Measures Data as of: --

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Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

604 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in ESS. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 institutional holders of ESS — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 RUSH ISLAND MANAGEMENT, LP 13.12% 807,893 $195.5M
2 Sophron Capital Management L.P. 5.64% 79,068 $19.1M
3 AEW CAPITAL MANAGEMENT L P 5.25% 298,934 $72.3M
4 Solel Partners LP 3.97% 76,700 $18.6M
5 GSI Capital Advisors LLC 3.43% 26,084 $6.3M
6 Resolution Capital Ltd 3.42% 673,020 $162.9M
7 Route One Investment Company, L.P. 3.07% 297,912 $72.1M
8 LANDMARK INVESTMENT PARTNERS, L.P. 2.76% 15,906 $3.8M
9 HEITMAN REAL ESTATE SECURITIES LLC 2.42% 139,229 $33.7M
10 Aurora Investment Managers, LLC. 2.41% 13,533 $3K
11 Vert Asset Management LLC 2.34% 30,462 $7.4M
12 COHEN & STEERS, INC. 2.04% 4,843,126 $1.2M
13 LDR Capital Management LLC 1.90% 5,852 $1.4M
14 Kinloch Capital, LLC 1.70% 17,182 $4.2M
15 Pensionfund PDN 1.45% 10,395 $3K
16 Pensionfund Sabic 1.41% 4,850 $1K
17 Uniplan Investment Counsel, Inc. 1.25% 50,157 $12.1M
18 Investure, LLC 1.20% 100,821 $24.4M
19 American Assets Investment Management, LLC 0.98% 59,500 $14.4M
20 Camelot Portfolios, LLC 0.84% 4,699 $1.1M
21 DUFF & PHELPS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT CO 0.82% 326,257 $79.0M
22 PACIFIC HEIGHTS ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC 0.81% 100,000 $24.2M
23 DEAN INVESTMENT ASSOCIATES, LLC 0.67% 19,661 $4.8M
24 Daiwa Securities Group Inc. 0.64% 924,804 $223.8M
25 Vest Financial, LLC 0.59% 201,308 $48.7M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — ESSEX PPTY TR INC (ESS)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for ESS?

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their ESS positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

What is the institutional breadth score for ESS?

More sellers than buyers — 49% buying: Last quarter: 309 funds reduced or exited vs 293 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.

What is the fund quality score for ESS holders?

Elite ownership — 41% AUM from top-100 funds: 63 of 607 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 41% of total institutional value in ESS. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.

How long have hedge funds held ESS?

68% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 411 out of 607 hedge funds have held ESS for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy ESSEX PPTY TR INC (ESS) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, ESS has moved +3.5% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +2.3% for the XLRE sector ETF — an outperformance of +1.2%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), ESS has gained +33.4% vs +8.4% for XLRE. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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