ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST: BARCLAYS INCREASES TARGET PRICE TO $272, UP FROM $271

Essex Property Trust, Inc. is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust. The Company acquires, develops, redevelops, and manages apartment communities in selected residential areas located on the West Coast of the United States. The Company defines its operating segments as the three geographical regions in which its communities are located: Southern California, Northern California, and Seattle metro. It has ownership interests in approximately 257 apartment communities comprising over 62,000 apartment homes. The Company owns all of its interests in its real estate and other investments directly or indirectly through Essex Portfolio, L.P. It invests primarily in apartment communities that are located in predominantly coastal markets within Southern California, Northern California, and the Seattle metropolitan area. It focuses on acquiring and developing apartment communities in supply constrained markets and redeveloping its existing communities.