Avista (NYSE:AVA) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says

Posted by Brian Himes on Jul 6th, 2026

Avista (NYSE:AVA – Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by research analysts at Barclays from $39.00 to $40.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Barclays‘s target price would suggest a potential downside of 3.23% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on AVA. Zacks Research raised shares of Avista from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 price objective on Avista in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho raised their price objective on Avista from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. 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 issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.00.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Avista

Avista Price Performance

Shares of AVA stock opened at $41.34 on Monday. Avista has a 1-year low of $35.50 and a 1-year high of $43.50. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $41.11 and its 200 day moving average is $40.58. The company has a market cap of $3.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.47, a PEG ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

Avista (NYSE:AVA – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.04 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $570.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $643.55 million. Avista had a net margin of 10.75% and a return on equity of 7.65%. The firm’s revenue was down 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period 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. Research analysts predict that Avista will post 2.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Wayne O. Manuel sold 1,593 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.98, for a total value of $65,281.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 10,521 shares in the company, valued at $431,150.58. This trade represents a 13.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avista

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Avista by 359.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,282,508 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $48,492,000 after acquiring an additional 1,003,362 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in Avista by 105.1% during 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 during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Avista by 37,219.7% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 541,136 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $20,855,000 after purchasing an additional 539,686 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its holdings in Avista by 1,723.9% in the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 442,427 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $16,728,000 after purchasing an additional 418,170 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp grew its position in Avista by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,191,896 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $197,032,000 after purchasing an additional 398,446 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.