Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) Price Target Raised to $71.00 at The Goldman Sachs Group

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $69.00 to $71.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the real estate investment trust’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 9.33% from the company’s current price.

EQR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Equity Residential from $75.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Equity Residential from $66.00 to $65.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Equity Residential from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $63.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of Equity Residential from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Equity Residential from $75.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Equity Residential presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.68.

Equity Residential Stock Performance

NYSE:EQR opened at $64.94 on Thursday. Equity Residential has a 52 week low of $58.38 and a 52 week high of $75.86. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The company has a market cap of $24.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.76.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.04 by ($0.01). Equity Residential had a net margin of 36.20% and a return on equity of 9.98%. The company had revenue of $781.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $786.35 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.00 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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, equities analysts anticipate that Equity Residential will post 3.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Equity Residential

In related news, EVP Robert Garechana sold 3,637 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.13, for a total transaction of $236,877.81. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,740 shares in the company, valued at $1,220,536.20. This trade represents a 16.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Michael L. Manelis sold 5,765 shares of Equity Residential stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.13, for a total value of $375,474.45. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 46,131 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,004,512.03. This trade represents a 11.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,058 shares of company stock worth $655,078. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equity Residential

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Equity Residential in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Equity Residential by 425.3% during the second quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 415 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 336 shares during the period. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Equity Residential during the third quarter worth $27,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton grew its position in Equity Residential by 69.2% in the 4th quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 440 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Equity Residential in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.68% of the company’s stock.

Key Equity Residential News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI published a bullish forecast for EQR, projecting strong price appreciation based on fundamentals and valuation — this adds institutional analyst support that can attract buyers. Evercore ISI Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald also issued a positive price-appreciation outlook, providing additional analyst-level backing that may counterbalance near-term selling pressure. Cantor Fitzgerald Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Operational update: a report notes EQR saw benefits from AI and automation in 2025, implying potential cost savings and margin improvement over time. AI & Automation Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results were mixed: a very small EPS miss and modest revenue growth; management gave Q1 and FY 2026 EPS guidance (Q1: $0.94–$0.98; FY: $4.02–$4.14), which sets expectations but is not a catalyst by itself.
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend yield remains attractive (~4.3% annualized) but payout ratio is high (~95%), which is relevant for income investors but limits upside from additional dividend increases in the near term.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider-selling wave: multiple senior executives (EVP Robert Garechana, COO Michael Manelis, EVP Catherine Carraway) sold shares around $65.13 on Feb. 10–11; pooled coverage (TipRanks) flagged the coordinated offloads, which often spooks investors and can create short-term downward pressure. TipRanks Insider Article
• Negative Sentiment: SEC Form 4 filings confirm material sales: Garechana (3,637 shares), Manelis (5,765), Carraway (656). The size and timing of these reductions (some double-digit percentage drops in their holdings) amplify the negative signal for traders watching insider activity. Garechana Form 4

About Equity Residential

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.