ARE vs. ELS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 30, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ARE and ELS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Both ARE and ELS are Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). These entities are required to distribute the majority of their taxable income to shareholders, often resulting in higher dividend yields.

Symbol	ARE	ELS
Company Name	Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.	Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Real Estate	Real Estate
GICS Industry	Office REITs	Residential REITs
Market Capitalization	13.95 billion USD	12.17 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	May 28, 1997	February 25, 1993
Security Type	REIT	REIT

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ARE and ELS by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ARE vs. ELS: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	ELS
5-Day Price Return	5.57%	-0.60%
13-Week Price Return	16.15%	-6.75%
26-Week Price Return	-14.49%	-9.16%
52-Week Price Return	-32.82%	-14.51%
Month-to-Date Return	6.92%	0.13%
Year-to-Date Return	-16.23%	-9.91%
10-Day Avg. Volume	1.24M	1.37M
3-Month Avg. Volume	1.69M	1.53M
3-Month Volatility	30.08%	18.30%
Beta	1.33	0.73

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

ARE

-0.06%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 9.47%
Q3: 6.07%
Median: 3.22%
Q1: 0.83%
Min: -0.08%

ARE has a negative Return on Equity of -0.06%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

ELS

22.13%

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 12.21%
Q3: 9.45%
Median: 7.42%
Q1: 2.50%
Min: 0.37%

ELS’s Return on Equity of 22.13% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Residential REITs industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

ARE

-0.32%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 74.75%
Q3: 44.46%
Median: 31.39%
Q1: 5.85%
Min: -0.35%

In the Office REITs industry, Net Profit Margin is often not the primary profitability metric.

ELS

24.25%

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 67.49%
Q3: 38.86%
Median: 25.74%
Q1: 7.62%
Min: 0.15%

In the Residential REITs industry, Net Profit Margin is often not the primary profitability metric.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

ARE

12.67%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 91.62%
Q3: 51.67%
Median: 42.78%
Q1: 23.56%
Min: 14.93%

In the Office REITs industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.

ELS

33.10%

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 54.06%
Q3: 45.82%
Median: 29.89%
Q1: 19.34%
Min: 5.28%

In the Residential REITs industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	ELS
Return on Equity (TTM)	-0.06%	22.13%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-0.03%	6.49%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-0.32%	24.25%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	12.67%	33.10%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	71.25%	52.77%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

ARE

0.40

Office REITs Industry

Max: 1.49
Q3: 1.22
Median: 0.67
Q1: 0.44
Min: 0.14

ARE’s Current Ratio of 0.40 falls into the lower quartile for the Office REITs industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

ELS

0.03

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 1.28
Q3: 0.64
Median: 0.21
Q1: 0.12
Min: 0.00

ELS’s Current Ratio of 0.03 falls into the lower quartile for the Residential REITs industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

ARE

0.77

Office REITs Industry

Max: 1.62
Q3: 1.32
Median: 0.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.42

ARE’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.77 is typical for the Office REITs industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

ELS

1.88

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 1.62
Q3: 1.10
Median: 0.83
Q1: 0.69
Min: 0.28

With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.88, ELS operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Residential REITs industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

ARE

2.75

Office REITs Industry

Max: 3.98
Q3: 3.37
Median: 1.66
Q1: 1.16
Min: 0.14

ARE’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.75 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Office REITs industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ELS

3.92

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 5.11
Q3: 4.01
Median: 2.53
Q1: 1.52
Min: 0.52

ELS’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.92 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Residential REITs industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	ELS
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.40	0.03
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.40	0.03
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.77	1.88
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	2.75	3.92

Growth

Revenue Growth

ARE vs. ELS: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

ARE vs. ELS: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

ARE

6.74%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 6.88%
Q3: 5.94%
Median: 4.58%
Q1: 3.82%
Min: 1.22%

With a Dividend Yield of 6.74%, ARE offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Office REITs industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

ELS

3.28%

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 4.21%
Q3: 3.83%
Median: 3.40%
Q1: 3.27%
Min: 2.80%

ELS’s Dividend Yield of 3.28% is consistent with its peers in the Residential REITs industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

ARE

174.29%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 231.12%
Q3: 180.65%
Median: 94.76%
Q1: 87.60%
Min: 1.02%

ARE’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 174.29% is within the typical range for the Office REITs industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ELS

104.85%

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 210.87%
Q3: 145.45%
Median: 102.94%
Q1: 84.58%
Min: 17.15%

ELS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 104.85% is within the typical range for the Residential REITs industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	ELS
Dividend Yield (TTM)	6.74%	3.28%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	174.29%	104.85%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

ARE

Office REITs Industry

Max: 48.29
Q3: 44.14
Median: 23.60
Q1: 18.77
Min: 6.08

The P/E Ratio is often not the primary metric for valuation in the Office REITs industry.

ELS

32.01

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 177.01
Q3: 109.22
Median: 31.26
Q1: 25.84
Min: 8.46

The P/E Ratio is often not the primary metric for valuation in the Residential REITs industry.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

ARE

4.21

Office REITs Industry

Max: 14.09
Q3: 9.33
Median: 6.96
Q1: 4.25
Min: 2.65

In the lower quartile for the Office REITs industry, ARE’s P/S Ratio of 4.21 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

ELS

7.76

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 12.50
Q3: 10.33
Median: 8.01
Q1: 6.55
Min: 5.06

ELS’s P/S Ratio of 7.76 aligns with the market consensus for the Residential REITs industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

ARE

0.73

Office REITs Industry

Max: 2.06
Q3: 1.34
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.68
Min: 0.57

ARE’s P/B Ratio of 0.73 is within the conventional range for the Office REITs industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

ELS

6.81

Residential REITs Industry

Max: 4.49
Q3: 2.83
Median: 2.20
Q1: 1.42
Min: 0.67

At 6.81, ELS’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Residential REITs industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

ARE vs. ELS: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Office REITs and Residential REITs industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	ELS
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	--	32.01
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	4.21	7.76
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	0.73	6.81
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	539.86	33.67