Avista (NYSE:AVA) Price Target Cut to $40.00 by Analysts at Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays cut its price target on Avista to $40 from $41 and kept an "equal weight" rating, implying roughly a 1.7% downside from the current share price and aligning with a consensus target of $40.00.
• Avista beat Q1 EPS estimates ($1.10 vs. $1.04) but missed on revenue ($555M vs. ~$644M) with revenue down ~8% year‑over‑year, while reaffirming FY2026 utility earnings guidance of $2.52–$2.72 per share.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed—one Buy, five Hold, one Sell—yielding a consensus "Hold"; shares trade near $40.68 with a market cap of about $3.36 billion.

Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by Barclays from $41.00 to $40.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the utilities provider's stock. Barclays's price target indicates a potential downside of 1.67% from the company's current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on AVA. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Avista from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Zacks Research downgraded Avista from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Avista from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 price objective on shares of Avista in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed a "sector weight" rating on shares of Avista in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $40.00.

Avista Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE AVA traded down $0.25 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $40.68. 63,944 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 617,402. The company has a market cap of $3.36 billion, a PE ratio of 17.12, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.24. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $40.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $40.15. Avista has a one year low of $35.50 and a one year high of $43.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $555.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $643.55 million. Avista had a net margin of 9.83% and a return on equity of 7.29%. The firm's revenue was down 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. Avista has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.520-2.720 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Avista will post 2.59 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Avista

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avista

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AVA. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Avista by 90.7% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 637 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the period. Bayban purchased a new stake in Avista during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Avista in the second quarter valued at about $37,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Avista during the 3rd quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Avista by 619.5% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,439 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 1,239 shares during the period. 85.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Avista

Here are the key news stories impacting Avista this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat and strong bottom‑line: Avista reported GAAP EPS of $1.11 (non‑GAAP $1.10), above street estimates, driven by higher utility earnings versus the year‑ago quarter. This is the primary catalyst supporting the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company reaffirmed FY2026 utility earnings guidance of $2.52–$2.72 per share, in line with analyst expectations, which reassures investors on near‑term earnings visibility. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho nudged its price target to $42 (from $41) but maintained a "neutral" rating, signaling modest upside but no upgrade in conviction from this shop. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple earnings transcripts and coverage (InsiderMonkey, Seeking Alpha, The Motley Fool) confirm the beat and management commentary; these provide color but don’t materially change the picture beyond the press release. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and weaker topline: Q1 revenue was $555M versus ~ $643M expected and down ~8% year‑over‑year, which may limit multiple expansion and raise near‑term growth concerns. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: 10‑K flagged a new regulatory risk disclosure, highlighting ongoing regulatory exposure that could weigh on investor sentiment and valuations over time. Read More.

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.

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