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Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) is included among the 15 Blue Chip Dividend Stocks to Build a Passive Income Porfolio.

On November 24, Mizuho raised its price target on Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) to $284 from $275 and reaffirmed its Outperform rating. The update came as the firm revised its REIT models following the company’s Q3 earnings.

As Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) operates as a REIT, it must distribute 90% of its taxable income to shareholders through dividends. The company’s payouts have climbed in recent years due to a steady growth in its earnings. Over the past decade, ESS has nearly doubled its dividend, and its 4.9% dividend hike in 2025 has comfortably surpassed inflation.

What mainly drives Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS)’s performance is its inclination toward high-demand West Coast markets, where rent growth has been stronger than average. From a dividend point of view, the company maintains a conservative payout ratio and a strong balance sheet, which offer it more room to maintain its dividend and scale up its apartment portfolio. ESS has been growing its dividends for 31 years running.

Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) is a residential-focused REIT that develops, owns, and manages apartment communities across the West Coast.

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