Mizuho Boosts Avista (NYSE:AVA) Price Target to $42.00

Key Points

• Mizuho raised its price target on Avista from $41 to $42 and kept a "neutral" rating, implying roughly a 3.2% upside
• Avista beat Q1 EPS expectations with $1.10 (non‑GAAP) / $1.11 GAAP vs. consensus ~ $1.04, but reported a revenue miss ($555M vs. ~$643.6M); management reaffirmed FY‑2026 utility EPS guidance of $2.52–$2.72.
• The stock trades near $40.70 with a market cap of $3.36B and a P/E of 17.11; insiders have recently sold shares and roughly 85% of shares are held by institutional investors.

Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) had its target price raised by stock analysts at Mizuho from $41.00 to $42.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the utilities provider's stock. Mizuho's price objective indicates a potential upside of 3.20% from the stock's current price.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on AVA. KeyCorp reiterated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Avista in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Avista from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of 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 on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 target price on shares of Avista in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $40.25.

Avista Stock Down 0.6%

AVA stock opened at $40.70 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.11, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.24. 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 has a one year low of $35.50 and a one year high of $43.50. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $40.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $40.15.

Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.06. Avista had a return on equity of 7.29% and a net margin of 9.83%.The company had revenue of $555.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $643.55 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.98 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Avista has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.520-2.720 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Avista will post 2.59 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Bryan Alden Cox sold 1,768 shares of Avista 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 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.78% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Avista

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AVA. Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Avista during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $7,381,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Avista by 8.0% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 519,946 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $19,659,000 after buying an additional 38,651 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Avista in the third quarter valued at $1,118,000. Nuance Investments LLC raised its holdings in Avista by 50.4% in the third quarter. Nuance Investments LLC now owns 288,203 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $10,897,000 after acquiring an additional 96,532 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC boosted its stake in Avista by 146.6% during the 3rd quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 76,039 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,875,000 after acquiring an additional 45,200 shares during the last quarter. 85.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.

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