Avista (NYSE:AVA) VP Alexis Alexander Sells 555 Shares

Avista Corporation (NYSE:AVA) VP Alexis Alexander sold 555 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.80, for a total value of $22,089.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 3,930 shares in the company, valued at approximately $156,414. This represents a 12.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Avista Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of AVA stock opened at $39.85 on Friday. Avista Corporation has a 1 year low of $35.50 and a 1 year high of $43.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.28 billion, a PE ratio of 16.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.28. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $40.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Avista (NYSE:AVA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter. Avista had a return on equity of 7.29% and a net margin of 9.83%. As a group, research analysts expect that Avista Corporation will post 2.3 EPS for the current year.

Avista Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th were given a dividend of $0.4925 per share. This is a positive change from Avista’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a $1.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.9%. Avista’s payout ratio is presently 82.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AVA. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Avista from $38.00 to $37.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Barclays started coverage on Avista in a report on Monday, March 9th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Avista in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Avista from $41.00 to $39.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Avista from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $39.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avista

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of Avista by 5.3% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 65,494 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,741,000 after purchasing an additional 3,296 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Avista by 11.1% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 69,831 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,924,000 after purchasing an additional 6,967 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in Avista in the 1st quarter worth about $201,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in Avista by 26.0% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 283,182 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $11,857,000 after purchasing an additional 58,504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in Avista during the 1st quarter worth about $134,000. 85.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.