Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

The shares of the Company’s common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol ESS. ESS common stock has been traded on the NYSE since June 13, 1994. The high, low and closing price per share of common stock reported on the NYSE for the quarters indicated are as follows:

The closing price of ESS stock as of February 24, 2014 was $166.38.

There is no established public trading market for Essex Portfolio, L.P.’s OP Units.

Holders

The approximate number of holders of record of the shares of ESS common stock was 256 as of February 24, 2014. This number does not include stockholders whose shares are held in investment accounts by other entities. ESS believes the actual number of stockholders is greater than the number of holders of record.

As of February 24, 2014, there were 45 holders of record of Essex Portfolio, L.P.’s OP Units, including ESS.

Return of Capital

Under provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the portion of the cash dividend, if any, that exceeds earnings and profits is considered a return of capital. The return of capital is generated due to a variety of factors, including the deduction of non-cash expenses, primarily depreciation, in the determination of earnings and profits.

The status of the cash dividends distributed for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012, and 2011 related to common stock, and Series F, G and H preferred stock for tax purposes are as follows:

Dividends and Distributions

Since ESS’s initial public offering on June 13, 1994, ESS and the Operating Partnership have paid regular quarterly dividends/distributions to its stockholders and unitholders. ESS paid the following dividends per share of common stock and the Operating Partnership paid the following distributions per limited partner OP unit:

Future dividends/distributions by ESS and the Operating Partnership will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors of ESS and will depend on the actual cash flows from operations of the Company, its financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, applicable legal restrictions and such other factors as the Board of Directors deem relevant. There are currently no contractual restrictions on ESS and the Operating Partnership present or future ability to pay dividends and distributions.

The Board of Directors has declared a dividend/distribution for the first quarter of 2014 of $1.21 per share. The dividend/distribution will be payable on March 31, 2014 to shareholders/unitholders of record as of March 14, 2014. The timing of the first quarter dividend/distribution is coordinated with BRE’s first quarter dividend, pursuant to the merger agreement.

On February 18, 2014, the ESS Board of Directors acknowledged management’s recommendation to increase the quarterly dividend by 9 cents to $1.30 per share/unit an annualized cash dividend/distribution of $5.20 per share/unit.

Future distributions by Essex Portfolio, L.P., will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors of Essex Portfolio, L.P.’s general partner, Essex Property Trust, Inc. and will depend on our actual cash flows from operations, our financial condition, capital requirements, Essex Property Trust, Inc.’s annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, applicable legal restrictions and such other factors as the Board of Directors deem relevant. There are currently no contractual restrictions on Essex Portfolio, L.P.’s present or future ability to pay distributions.

Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan

ESS has adopted a dividend reinvestment and share purchase plan designed to provide holders of common stock with a convenient and economical means to reinvest all or a portion of their cash dividends in shares of common stock and to acquire additional shares of common stock through voluntary purchases. Computershare, LLC, which serves as ESS transfer agent, administers the dividend reinvestment and share purchase plan. For a copy of the plan, contact Computershare, LLC at (312) 360-5354.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans

See the Company’s disclosure in the 2014 Proxy Statement under the heading “Equity Compensation Plan Information”, which disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.

Issuance of Registered Equity Securities

During 2013, ESS sold 913,344 shares of common stock for proceeds of $138.4 million, net of commissions, at an average price of $152.92. During the first quarter of 2014 through February 24, 2014, ESS has issued 462,555 shares of common stock at an average price of $162.97 for proceeds of $74.9 million, net of fees and commissions. These sales were pursuant to a registration statement and ESS used the net proceeds from the stock offerings to pay down debt, fund redevelopment and development pipelines, fund acquisitions, and for general corporate purposes.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities – Common Stock, Series G Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock

In August 2007, ESS Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase plan to allow ESS to acquire shares in an aggregate of up to $200 million. ESS did not repurchase any shares during 2013, 2012 and 2011. Since ESS announced the inception of the stock repurchase plan, ESS has repurchased and retired 816,659 shares for $66.6 million at an average stock price of $81.56 per share, including commissions as of December 31, 2013.

Performance Graph

The line graph below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on ESS common stock for the last five years with the cumulative total return on the S&P 500 and the NAREIT All Equity REIT index over the same period. This comparison assumes that the value of the investment in the common stock and each index was $100 on December 31, 2008 and that all dividends were reinvested (1).

(1) Common stock performance data is provided by SNL Financial.

The graph and other information furnished under the above caption “Performance Graph” in this Part II Item 5 of this Form 10-K shall not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or to the liabilities of the Exchange Act, as amended.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Operating Partnership issued partnership units in private placements in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, in the amounts and for the consideration set forth below:

On December 10, 2013, Essex Portfolio, L.P. issued 50,500 units under the 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan Award agreements to twelve senior executives of the Company for no cash consideration.

During the year ended December 31, 2013, Essex Property Trust, Inc. issued an aggregate of 52,970 shares of its common stock upon the exercise of stock options. Essex Property Trust, Inc. contributed the proceeds from the option exercises of $5.0 million to our Operating Partnership in exchange for an aggregate of 52,970 common OP Units, as required by the Operating Partnership’s partnership agreement.

During the year ended December 31, 2013, Essex Property Trust, Inc. issued an aggregate of 7,211 shares of its common stock in connection with restricted stock awards for no cash consideration. For each share of common stock issued by Essex Property Trust, Inc. in connection with such awards, our operating partnership issued a common unit to Essex Property Trust, Inc. as required by the partnership agreement, for an aggregate of 7,211 units during the year ended December 31, 2013.