Avista (NYSE:AVA) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.20 EPS

Avista (NYSE:AVA) issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The utilities provider reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.20, RTT News reports. Avista had a return on equity of 7.85% and a net margin of 11.83%.The business had revenue of $413.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $426.93 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.17 earnings per share. Avista’s revenue for the quarter was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Avista updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.520-2.720 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Avista’s conference call:

• Spokane wildfires caused significant infrastructure damage, with approximately 7,300 electric and 5,300 natural-gas customers still without service. The full extent and duration of distribution-system repairs remain uncertain, creating potential cost and operational risks.
• Avista said it is too early to determine wildfire cost recovery or insurance treatment; while a Washington securitization mechanism exists, management does not currently expect the event to be financially large enough to require it.
• Management said its wildfire-mitigation measures—including vegetation management, monitoring, operational changes, and public-safety power shutoffs—appear to have worked as intended, and crews repaired a key transmission line that reduced the risk of additional outages.
• Avista continues to pause negotiations on a potential 500-megawatt data-center project while regulators and stakeholders develop stronger customer protections. The company said it will proceed only if the project provides a net benefit, preserves reliability, and does not shift costs to existing customers.
• Management expects volatility in nonregulated investment results; a gain anticipated next quarter from an IPO-related investment would largely reverse at current share prices, although future fund exits could provide cash-flow benefits.

Avista Price Performance

Shares of AVA stock traded down $0.51 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $38.70. 40,966 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 670,962. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company has a market cap of $3.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.42, a P/E/G ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.25. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $41.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $40.99. Avista has a fifty-two week low of $35.50 and a fifty-two week high of $43.50.

Avista Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 18th will be issued a $0.4925 dividend. This represents a $1.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 18th. Avista’s payout ratio is currently 78.49%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on AVA shares. Mizuho raised their target price on Avista from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Avista from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Avista from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays lowered their price target on Avista from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 target price on shares of Avista in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $39.25.

Insider Buying and Selling at Avista

In other Avista news, SVP Wayne O. Manuel sold 1,593 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at approximately $431,150.58. This represents a 13.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avista

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AVA. State Street Corp grew its stake in Avista by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,305,266 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $204,465,000 after acquiring an additional 45,696 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in Avista by 16.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,807,397 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $69,657,000 after purchasing an additional 257,834 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Avista by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,511,205 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $58,243,000 after purchasing an additional 4,506 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Avista by 105.1% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,137,236 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $43,829,000 after purchasing an additional 582,742 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Avista by 12.1% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,084,072 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $40,989,000 after purchasing an additional 117,385 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.24% of the company’s stock.

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.