Analyzing Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) & Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust (OTCMKTS:MHCUF)

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) and Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust (OTCMKTS:MHCUF) are both real estate companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, valuation, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Essex Property Trust and Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Essex Property Trust	$1.89 billion	9.64	$669.67 million	$6.43	44.01
Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Essex Property Trust has higher revenue and earnings than Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

96.5% of Essex Property Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.5% of Essex Property Trust shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Essex Property Trust and Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Essex Property Trust	21.48%	7.33%	3.16%
Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations for Essex Property Trust and Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Essex Property Trust	1	10	11	1	2.52
Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust	0	0	2	0	3.00

Essex Property Trust presently has a consensus price target of $303.99, indicating a potential upside of 7.43%. Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust has a consensus price target of $24.50, indicating a potential upside of 19.51%. Given Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust is more favorable than Essex Property Trust.

Summary

Essex Property Trust beats Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Essex Property Trust

Essex Property Trust, Inc., an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, develops, redevelops, and manages multifamily residential properties in selected West Coast markets. Essex currently has ownership interests in 252 apartment communities comprising approximately 62,000 apartment homes with an additional property in active development.

About Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust

Flagship Communities Real Estate Investment Trust is an internally managed, unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established pursuant to a declaration of trust under the laws of the Province of Ontario. The REIT has been formed to own and operate a portfolio of income-producing manufactured housing communities located in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois, including a fleet of manufactured homes for lease to residents of such housing communities.