Avista Corporation (NYSE:AVA) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Core Viewpoint - Avista Corporation (NYSE: AVA) is experiencing mixed analyst ratings and significant changes in institutional ownership, alongside recent financial performance and dividend announcements Analyst Ratings - KeyCorp reaffirmed a "sector weight" rating on Avista shares, while Wall Street Zen downgraded the stock from "hold" to "sell" [1] - Wells Fargo reduced its target price from $38.00 to $37.00, maintaining an "equal weight" rating [1] - Barclays initiated coverage with an "equal weight" rating and a target price of $40.00 [1] - Jefferies Financial Group lowered its price target from $41.00 to $39.00, also rating the stock as "hold" [1] - The consensus rating among five analysts is "Hold," with an average 1-year price target of $39.50 [7] Insider Trading - SVP Bryan Alden Cox sold 1,768 shares at an average price of $40.18, totaling $71,038.24, resulting in a 17.39% decrease in ownership [2] Institutional Ownership - First Trust Advisors LP increased its position by 359.4%, owning 1,282,508 shares valued at $48.49 million after acquiring 1,003,362 shares [3] - Norges Bank established a new position valued at approximately $29.67 million [3] - Westwood Holdings Group Inc. raised its stake by 52.7%, now owning 2,110,711 shares worth $80.10 million [3] - Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake by 105.1%, owning 1,137,236 shares valued at $43.83 million [3] - Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings by 37,219.7%, now owning 541,136 shares worth $20.86 million [3] - Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 85.24% of Avista's stock [3] Financial Performance - Avista reported earnings of $0.88 per share for the last quarter, with a return on equity of 7.29% and a net margin of 9.83% [5] - Analysts forecast an EPS of 2.3 for the current fiscal year [5] Dividend Information - Avista announced a quarterly dividend of $0.4925, representing an annualized dividend of $1.97 and a yield of 4.9% [6][8] - This is an increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.49, with a payout ratio of 82.77% [8] Company Overview - Avista Corporation operates as an integrated energy company providing electric and natural gas delivery services to approximately 400,000 electric customers and 324,000 natural gas customers in the Pacific Northwest [9] - The company maintains a comprehensive transmission and distribution network and invests in generation assets, including hydroelectric, natural gas, coal, and wind facilities [9]