ERP OPERATING LTD PARTNERSHIP(EQR)Stock Analysis

Quirks, history, and lore behind EQR — the kind of stuff that makes a stock memorable.

• 1
  The Basics

  A real estate investment trust · large-cap · listed on the NYSE · headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
• 2
  The Numbers

  Owns and operates roughly 80,000 apartment units across the U.S., with annual revenues in the neighborhood of $3 billion.
• 3
  The History

  Founded in the 1960s and grew into one of the largest publicly traded apartment REITs in the country by focusing relentlessly on high-demand urban and suburban markets.
• 4
  The Secret

  The company bets big on coastal and Sun Belt cities — think Boston, Seattle, Denver, and Southern California — where renting beats buying for millions of residents.
• 5
  The Lore

  Legendary investor Sam Zell was a key architect of the company, making it a cornerstone of his real estate empire before it became a standalone REIT giant.
• 6
  The Giveaway

  Its ticker spells out a promise: EQR — short for a company whose very name screams apartments for residents, held by shareholders who love a steady dividend.