Transaction details and rationale
Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) Chief Accounting Officer Ian Kaufman executed a sale of 909 shares of the company’s common stock on February 18, 2026. The shares changed hands at $63.56 apiece, producing proceeds of $57,776. Company disclosure indicates the disposition was undertaken to cover a tax liability that arose when restricted shares vested.
The executed price was modestly higher than the company’s cited prevailing share price of $63.05 on the same day, with the $24.39 billion residential REIT trading in line with recent levels.
Post-transaction holdings
After the sale, Kaufman has direct ownership of 29,444 Equity Residential shares, a total that includes restricted stock that remains scheduled to vest in the future. In addition to direct holdings, he indirectly holds 642 shares through the Equity Residential Advantage 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan. Those indirect holdings reflect accumulations through January 16, 2026 from profit sharing contributions and dividend reinvestment activity.
Dividend profile and valuation signal
Equity Residential provides a dividend yield of 4.39% and has maintained dividend distributions for 34 consecutive years. According to InvestingPro, the stock is currently rated as overvalued relative to its Fair Value, a signal that could weigh on valuation-focused investors despite the steady income profile.
Recent operating results
In its fourth-quarter 2025 results, Equity Residential reported earnings per share of $1.00, surpassing analyst expectations of $0.38 - a 163.16% outperformance relative to the consensus estimate. Revenue for the quarter came in at $781.91 million, narrowly missing the anticipated $785.68 million. The company’s pronounced EPS beat alongside a slight revenue shortfall suggests margin or non-operational dynamics supported profitability for the quarter.
Analysts have taken note of the company’s mixed results, though the available information does not enumerate any consequent rating changes from sell-side firms.
Implications for investors
The insider sale was explicitly tied to tax obligations from restricted-share vesting, rather than to a broader signal of reduced confidence in the business. At the same time, InvestingPro’s Fair Value assessment and the revenue miss provide inputs investors may weigh against the company’s dividend consistency and EPS outperformance.
Access to further research
Deeper valuation and financial analysis for Equity Residential are available via the InvestingPro Pro Research Report, which covers this name along with over 1,400 other U.S. equities.