Elme Communities (ELME) fair value: what the stock is really worth
As of Sep 24, 2026: fair value of Elme Communities $2.44, price $1.70, upside +43.5%, quality 46 out of 100. Calculated from audited financials with 26 valuation models and 37 quality factors, updated daily.
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Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year, dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 23, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range $1.35 – $22.75 · fair‑value band $2.09 – $2.91 · the $1.70 price screens below the $2.44 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). Dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 23, 2026.
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Elme Communities is committed to elevating what home can be for middle-income renters by providing a higher level of quality, service, and experience.
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Elme Communities is committed to elevating what home can be for middle-income renters by providing a higher level of quality, service, and experience. The Company is a multifamily real estate investment trust that owns and operates approximately 9,400 apartment homes in the Washington, DC metro and the Atlanta metro regions, and owns approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial space. Elme Communities was incorporated in 1960 in Maryland.
Stock analysis
Elme Communities (ELME) currently trades at $1.70, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is $2.44, implying the stock looks roughly 30.3% undervalued today.
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Valuation
Bull case: the Growth DCF group reads highest at a median of $19.08 per share, and 9 of the 9 models we run sit above the $1.70 price.
Bear case: the Asset-Based group reads lowest at $1.80, and 0 of the 9 models stay below the price. Evidence for this calculation is low.
Scenario range: $2.09 (bear) to $2.91 (bull), the price of $1.70 sits below it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 46/100 (below-average quality), in the Real Estate sector.
Mixed Growth: Revenue is growing, but margins or cash flow do not fully confirm the trend.
Elme Communities reported revenue of $242M in FY2024 versus $176M in FY2020, a compound +8.3%/yr. Reported net income was −$154M in FY2025.
Key figures
Market cap $179M · P/S ratio 0.72 · EPS (TTM) $−1.47 · Net margin −74.7% · Return on equity −13.4% · Return on assets (EBIT) −1.2% · Operating margin −3.4% · Revenue (TTM) $248M.
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 32 out of 100 (low confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 90% below its 52-week high and 26% above its 52-week low, currently below its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Real Estate peers we cover trades at 2% fair-value upside, at 44%, ELME screens cheaper than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear $2.09Fair Value $2.44Bull $2.91
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above is their evidence-weighted blend, not the output of a single model.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.Evidence ⓘEvidence = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.41/100
Revenue is growing, but margins or cash flow do not fully confirm the trend.
Revenue growth 1 year
+6.2%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+12.7%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+6.5%
Revenue growth 39 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+6.6%
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Profit margin (trend) ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.
28.0% (2019) → 9.7% (2024)
What shareholders gained per year ⓘWe only publish this rate when it is defensible. Reason: fiscal 2025 is a loss year, no rate is defined from a loss
not computed
Growth Forecast
Little optimism in the price
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
less than -40 %
Yearly growth needed for the next five years to justify today's price.
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
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Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.REIT - Residential · 44 stocks
Beats the industry median on 5/12 measures
A mixed picture versus its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score48 · Below median
Fair Value upside+44% · Top 25%
Profitability
Return on assets1% · Below median
Net margin (TTM)−75% · Bottom 25%
Operating margin (TTM)−3% · Bottom 25%
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth2% · Below median
Dividend yield (TTM)32.2% · Top 25%
Balance sheet
Debt / equity2.18× · Highest 25%
Valuation Multiplesvs REIT - Residential median · lower = cheaper
For bloggers, editors and developers: paste this into your site or blog (a “Custom HTML” block in WordPress), it shows the current fair value and links back here. Free, plain HTML, and welcome. Full data streams (CSV/JSON) at /developers.
Cite: Fair Value Calculator (2026). "Elme Communities Fair Value". https://www.fairvalue-calculator.com/stock/ELME
Frequently asked questions
Is Elme Communities (ELME) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Sep 23, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of $2.44 versus a price of $1.70, about +44% upside (undervalued).
What is the fair value of ELME?
Our model-based fair value for Elme Communities is $2.44 (as of Sep 23, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: $1.70.
What is the quality score of ELME?
Elme Communities has a Quality Score of 46/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Elme Communities (ELME)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of $2.44 (as of Sep 23, 2026) from 9 valuation models. Cautious scenario $2.09, optimistic scenario $2.91. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Elme Communities stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at $2.44, about +44% upside versus a price of $1.70 (undervalued). Cautious scenario $2.09, optimistic scenario $2.91. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Elme Communities (ELME)?
Elme Communities reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about $248M (latest available figure, as of Sep 23, 2026).
What growth is priced into Elme Communities (ELME)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Elme Communities would have to grow free cash flow by less than minus 40 % per year for five years (discount rate 12.0 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew +6.5 % per year. As of Sep 23, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of ELME use?
Our models discount Elme Communities at 12.0 %: a base by market capitalisation (micro), damped by beta 0.77, country premium for USA. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Elme Communities that is less than minus 40 % per year a year over ten years, using the same discount rate (12.0 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Elme Communities (ELME) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Elme Communities grew +6.5 % a year. The price currently implies less than minus 40 % per year free-cash-flow growth a year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Elme Communities (ELME) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +1.8 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Elme Communities (less than minus 40 % per year a year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Elme Communities (ELME)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 41.56 %: that much free cash flow Elme Communities produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (12.0 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Elme Communities (ELME)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Elme Communities it is $2.44 per share (as of Sep 23, 2026), against a price of $1.70. It is the blended result of 9 valuation models (cash flow, earnings, asset, dividend).
Is Elme Communities stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Sep 23, 2026, ELME trades below its calculated fair value: price $1.70, fair value $2.44, a gap of about +44% (undervalued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of ELME?
No. The price is what the market pays today ($1.70); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify ($2.44). For Elme Communities the two are $0.7400 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Elme Communities worth?
The market values Elme Communities at about $179M (market capitalisation, as of Sep 23, 2026). Per share that is $1.70; our models calculate a fair value of $2.44 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about ELME?
Our models span a range for Elme Communities: cautious scenario $2.09, base $2.44, optimistic $2.91 per share (as of Sep 23, 2026, price $1.70). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the PEG ratio of ELME?
The PEG ratio of Elme Communities is 43.49 (P/E divided by earnings growth, as of Sep 23, 2026). That is above 1, so the growth is already paid for in the price.
How solid is the balance sheet of Elme Communities (ELME)?
Balance-sheet figures for Elme Communities (as of Sep 23, 2026): return on equity −13.4%, debt of 2.18 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 46/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is ELME from its 52-week high?
Elme Communities trades at $1.70, about 90% below its 52-week high of $17.55 and 26% above the low of $1.35 (as of Sep 24, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of $2.44 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Elme Communities?
From the same area (Real Estate) we also value Essex Property Trust, Inc, Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc, Sun Communities, Inc, UDR, Inc, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Elme Communities stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Sep 23, 2026: price $1.70, calculated fair value $2.44 (+44%), Quality Score 46/100, from 9 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of ELME calculated?
We run Elme Communities through 9 models from four families: discounted cash flow, earnings models, asset and balance-sheet models, and dividend models. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the result is the weighted average of $2.44, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 14.0 % above its aggregate fair value. Elme Communities currently trades 44 % below its own fair value, and the market average says nothing about that. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Elme Communities (ELME)?
The closing price on Sep 24, 2026 was $1.70. Our model-based fair value is $2.44, about +44% upside (undervalued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Elme Communities right now?
The price is below even our cautious bear case ($2.09). The market is more pessimistic than our downside scenario. The large gap to fair value rests on thin data (low evidence): fewer applicable models and a shorter history. Read it with extra caution. Solid quality (46/100) at a price below fair value, the discount is the argument here, not the business quality. As a real-estate business, asset- and dividend-based methods carry more weight here than a standard DCF.
Key figures of Elme Communities
How large is the market capitalisation of Elme Communities (ELME)?
The market capitalisation of Elme Communities is $179M. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Elme Communities (ELME)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Elme Communities is 0.72 (last twelve months). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Elme Communities (ELME)?
Earnings per share at Elme Communities are $−1.47. Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the net margin of Elme Communities (ELME)?
The net margin of Elme Communities is −74.7% (last twelve months). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Elme Communities (ELME)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Elme Communities is −13.4% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Elme Communities (ELME)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Elme Communities is −1.2% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Elme Communities (ELME)?
The operating margin of Elme Communities is −3.4% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Elme Communities (ELME)?
Revenue at Elme Communities is growing +1.7% versus a year earlier (3y avg +12.7%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How much net cash does Elme Communities (ELME) hold?
Elme Communities holds more cash than debt, $812M net (fiscal year 2025). The company holds more cash than debt, a safety cushion.
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Thin data
Sep 23, 2026