Key Points
- Avista SVP Bryan Alden Cox sold 1,768 shares at an average price of $40.18 on Feb. 26 for about $71,038, reducing his holding by 17.39% to 8,401 shares (SEC filing).
- Quarterly results missed: Avista reported $0.88 EPS versus $1.01 expected and revenue well below consensus, and issued FY2026 guidance of $2.52–$2.72 while analysts expect roughly 2.3 EPS for the year.
- Dividend raised to $0.4925 per share quarterly (annualized $1.97) for a ~4.9% yield, with an ex-dividend date of Feb. 25 and a payout ratio of about 83.8%.
Avista Corporation (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 8,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $337,552.18. This represents a 17.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Avista Price Performance
Shares of Avista stock opened at $40.24 on Friday. Avista Corporation has a twelve month low of $35.50 and a twelve month high of $43.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market cap of $3.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.28. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $40.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.97.
Avista (NYSE:AVA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The utilities provider reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.01 by ($0.13). Avista had a return on equity of 7.29% and a net margin of 9.83%.The business had revenue of ($87.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $541.10 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.84 EPS. Avista has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.520-2.720 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Avista Corporation will post 2.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Avista Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.4925 per share. This is an increase from Avista's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $1.97 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 25th. Avista's dividend payout ratio is currently 83.83%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms have commented on AVA. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Avista from $38.00 to $37.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings raised Avista from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday. KeyCorp reaffirmed a "sector weight" rating on shares of Avista in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Mizuho set a $42.00 price objective on Avista in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Avista from $41.00 to $39.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $39.33.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Avista
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in Avista by 90.7% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 637 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in shares of Avista during the third quarter worth $26,000. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Avista by 54.8% during the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 884 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 313 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Avista in the second quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Avista in the third quarter valued at about $43,000. Institutional investors own 85.24% of the company's stock.
Avista Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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