Avista (NYSE:AVA) Given New $40.00 Price Target at Barclays

Avista (NYSE:AVA) had its price objective cut by Barclays from $41.00 to $40.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

AVA has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 target price on shares of Avista in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Avista in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Avista from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Avista from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Avista from $41.00 to $39.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.00.

Avista Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of AVA opened at $40.55 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.15, a PEG ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.24. Avista has a 52 week low of $35.50 and a 52 week high of $43.50. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $40.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01.

Avista (NYSE:AVA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.04 by $0.06. Avista had a return on equity of 7.65% and a net margin of 10.75%.The company had revenue of $555.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $643.55 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.98 earnings per share. Avista’s quarterly revenue was down 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. Avista has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.520-2.720 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Avista will post 2.59 EPS for the current year.

Avista Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th were issued a dividend of $0.4925 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 25th. This is a positive change from Avista’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $1.97 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.9%. Avista’s payout ratio is 78.49%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Bryan Alden Cox sold 1,768 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.18, for a total transaction of $71,038.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 8,401 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $337,552.18. The trade was a 17.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avista

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in Avista by 359.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,282,508 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $48,492,000 after buying an additional 1,003,362 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Avista by 105.1% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,137,236 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $43,829,000 after acquiring an additional 582,742 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Avista by 37,219.7% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 541,136 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $20,855,000 after acquiring an additional 539,686 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Avista by 1,723.9% in the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 442,427 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $16,728,000 after acquiring an additional 418,170 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Avista by 8.3% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,191,896 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $197,032,000 after purchasing an additional 398,446 shares in the last quarter. 85.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Avista News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Avista this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly common dividend of $0.4925 per share (annualized $1.97), payable June 12 to holders of record May 19 — supports income-oriented investor demand. Avista Corp. Board Declares Common Stock Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat on the bottom line and management reaffirmed FY2026 utility EPS guidance of $2.52–$2.72. GAAP EPS was ~$1.10–1.11 vs. consensus ~1.04, and non‑GAAP utility earnings were up vs. prior year — this supports earnings momentum and the company’s guidance credibility. Avista Q1 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target from $41 to $42 and kept a “neutral” rating — a modest show of confidence but not a bullish re‑rating. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays trimmed its price target from $41 to $40 and maintained an “equal weight” stance, signaling limited near-term upside from that analyst. TickerReport / Barclays note
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue missed expectations ($555M reported vs. ~$644M expected) and was down ~8% year-over-year — the top-line weakness tempers the EPS beat and may concern growth-focused investors. MarketBeat earnings recap
• Negative Sentiment: Avista’s 2025 Form 10‑K disclosed additional regulatory risk language and highlighted ongoing risk exposures — a reminder of regulatory and operational uncertainties that can affect utility returns. TipRanks: 10‑K highlights

About Avista

Avista Corporation operates as an integrated energy company providing electric and natural gas delivery services to residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Pacific Northwest. Through its regulated utility operations, the company maintains and upgrades an extensive transmission and distribution network, delivering reliable energy to approximately 400,000 electric customers and 324,000 natural gas customers across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In addition to its core utility business, Avista invests in owned generation assets, including hydroelectric, natural gas–fired, coal and wind facilities, to support system reliability and long-term supply planning.

Founded in 1889 as the Spokane and Inland Empire Water Power Company, the business adopted the Avista name in 1999 to reflect its growing energy portfolio and strategic focus on innovation.