Avista (NYSE:AVA) Stock Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Avista Corporation (NYSE:AVA) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $40.82 and traded as high as $42.44. Avista shares last traded at $41.6950, with a volume of 424,851 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Avista from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Mizuho lifted their price target on Avista from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 price target on Avista in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Avista in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Avista from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $40.00.

Avista Trading Down 0.3%

The company has a market cap of $3.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.61, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $41.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.82.

Avista (NYSE:AVA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $570.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $643.55 million. Avista had a return on equity of 7.65% and a net margin of 10.75%.The business’s revenue was down 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.98 earnings per share. Avista has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.520-2.720 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Avista Corporation will post 2.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Avista Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 19th were issued a $0.4925 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 19th. This represents a $1.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.7%. Avista’s payout ratio is currently 78.49%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Wayne O. Manuel sold 1,593 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.98, for a total transaction of $65,281.14. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 10,521 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $431,150.58. This trade represents a 13.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Avista

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVA. Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Avista by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 10,182 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $392,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC grew its position in Avista by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 7,941 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Avista by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,020 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $78,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Avista by 14.2% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,279 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 283 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Avista by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 18,621 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $718,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. 85.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.