Avista (NYSE:AVA) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Avista from a "sell" to a "hold"; the stock's consensus rating is "Hold" with a consensus target price of $39.75 (1 Buy, 4 Hold, 1 Sell).
• Shares opened at $41.75 with a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a P/E of 17.54, and a 52-week range of $35.50–$43.50; the 50-day and 200-day moving averages are about $40.79 and $39.86, respectively.
• SVP Bryan Alden Cox sold 1,768 shares (a 17.39% reduction in his position); insiders own 0.78% of the company while institutional investors hold 85.24%.

Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on AVA. Barclays boosted their price target on Avista from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research lowered Avista from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Avista from $38.00 to $37.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. KeyCorp reaffirmed a "sector weight" rating on shares of Avista in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Avista from $41.00 to $39.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Avista presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $39.75.

Avista Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE AVA opened at $41.75 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.54, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.23. 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 $40.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.86. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter. Avista had a return on equity of 7.29% and a net margin of 9.83%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Avista will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Avista

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 stock was sold at an average price of $40.18, for a total transaction of $71,038.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 8,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $337,552.18. The trade was a 17.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.78% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of Avista by 90.7% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 637 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in shares of Avista during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Bayban acquired a new position in shares of Avista during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Avista during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Avista during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. 85.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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