Mizuho Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Avista (NYSE:AVA) Stock

Avista (NYSE:AVA) had its target price increased by investment analysts at Mizuho from $41.00 to $42.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Mizuho’s price target points to a potential upside of 3.20% from the company’s current price.

AVA has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays lifted their target price on Avista from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Avista from $41.00 to $39.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Avista from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Avista in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Avista from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $40.25.

Avista Trading Down 0.6%

NYSE:AVA opened at $40.70 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The business’s 50 day moving average is $40.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $40.15. Avista has a 52 week low of $35.50 and a 52 week high of $43.50. The company has a market cap of $3.36 billion, a PE ratio of 17.11, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.24.

Avista (NYSE:AVA) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.06. Avista had a net margin of 9.83% and a return on equity of 7.29%. The firm had revenue of $555.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $643.55 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.98 EPS. Avista’s 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, analysts predict that Avista will post 2.59 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Avista

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Avista by 359.4% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,282,508 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $48,492,000 after purchasing an additional 1,003,362 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in Avista by 105.1% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,137,236 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $43,829,000 after buying an additional 582,742 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Avista by 37,219.7% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 541,136 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $20,855,000 after buying an additional 539,686 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its stake in Avista by 1,723.9% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 442,427 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $16,728,000 after buying an additional 418,170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its stake in Avista by 8.3% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,191,896 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $197,032,000 after buying an additional 398,446 shares in the last quarter. 85.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Avista

Here are the key news stories impacting Avista this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results: GAAP net income of $92M, $1.11 EPS (non‑GAAP utility EPS $1.10), ahead of last year and consensus; management confirmed FY‑2026 utility EPS guidance of $2.52–$2.72. Avista Corp. Reports Q1 2026 Financial Results, Confirms 2026 Utility Earnings Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: EPS beat: Reported $1.10 (non‑GAAP) / $1.11 GAAP vs. consensus ~ $1.04–$1.08 — supports valuation and near‑term earnings momentum. Avista (AVA) Surpasses Q1 Earnings Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call / transcripts published — useful for details on rate cases, capital plans and weather/commodity impacts but no new major guidance changes. Avista Corporation (AVA) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss: Q1 revenue $555M vs. ~$643.6M expected (down 8% YoY), indicating weaker top‑line utility volumes or timing — a potential near‑term headwind if the trend persists. Avista Q1 earnings / MarketBeat summary
• Negative Sentiment: 10‑K disclosure added a new regulatory risk item — increases investor attention on regulatory/legislative exposure that could affect rates or capital recovery. Avista’s 2025 10‑K Highlights Ongoing Risk Exposure Despite Minimal Changes in Disclosures

Avista Company Profile

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.