Sifting through countless of stocks in the Multi-Utilities industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Avista Corporation or NiSource Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc.

Avista Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an electric and natural gas utility company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Avista Utilities and Alaska Electric Light and Power Company (AEL&P). The Avista Utilities segment provides electric distribution and transmission, and natural gas distribution and transmission services in parts of eastern Washington and northern Idaho; and natural gas distribution services in parts of northeastern and southwestern Oregon, as well as generates electricity in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana. This segment also engages in the supply of electricity to customers in Montana; and wholesale purchase and sale of electricity and natural gas. The Alaska Electric Light and Power Company segment offers electric services in Juneau, Alaska. The company generates electricity through hydroelectric, thermal, wind, and solar generation facilities. As of December 31, 2025, it supplied retail electrical services to approximately 429,000 customers; retail natural gas services to approximately 386,000 customers; and electrical energy to approximately 17,600 customers. The company also operates five hydroelectric generation facilities with a capacity of 102.7 MW; and four diesel generating facilities with a capacity of 107.5 MW. In addition, it engages in venture fund investments, real estate investments, and other investments. The company was formerly known as Washington Water Power and changed its name to Avista Corporation in January 1999. Avista Corporation was incorporated in 1889 and is headquartered in Spokane, Washington.

NiSource Inc., an energy holding company, operates as a regulated natural gas and electric utility company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Columbia Operations and NIPSCO Operations. The company provides natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers through approximately 37,300 miles of distribution main pipeline and the associated individual customer service lines; and 310 miles of transmission main pipeline in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland. It also generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 0.5 million customers in various counties in the northern part of Indiana, as well as engages in wholesale electric and transmission transactions. It owns and operates steam coal generating stations in Wheatfield and Michigan City; combined cycle gas turbine in West Terre Haute; natural gas generating units in Wheatfield; hydro generating plants in Carroll County and White County; wind generating units in White County; and solar generating units in Sullivan County, Gibson County, Jasper County, and White County. The company was formerly known as NIPSCO Industries, Inc. and changed its name to NiSource Inc. in April 1999. NiSource Inc. was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana.

Latest Multi-Utilities and Avista Corporation, NiSource Inc. Stock News

As of October 9, 2026, Avista Corporation had a $3.0 billion market capitalization, compared to the Multi-Utilities median of $23.0 million. Avista Corporation’s stock is down 7.9% in 2026, up 0.5% in the previous five trading days and down 5.39% in the past year.

Currently, Avista Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 12.8. Avista Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.9 billion with a 11.8% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 0.5%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $2.620 per share for the current fiscal year. Avista Corporation currently has a 5.6% dividend yield.

As of October 9, 2026, NiSource Inc. had a $19.5 billion market cap, putting it in the 86th percentile of all stocks. NiSource Inc.’s stock is down 2.4% in 2026, up 3.4% in the previous five trading days and down 7.15% in the past year.

Currently, NiSource Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 21.6. NiSource Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $6.9 billion with a 13.2% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 4.6%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $2.051 per share for the current fiscal year. NiSource Inc. currently has a 2.9% dividend yield.

How We Compare Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
Avista Corporation	AVA	A
NiSource Inc.	NI	B

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Avista Corporation has a Growth Score of 100, which is Very Strong. NiSource Inc. has a Growth Score of 77, which is Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: Avista Corporation

As you can clearly see from the Growth Grade breakdown above, Avista Corporation has a more attractive growth grade than NiSource Inc.. For investors who focus solely on how a company is growing relative to other companies in the same industry, Avista Corporation could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Avista Corporation	AVA	D
NiSource Inc.	NI	D

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Avista Corporation has a Momentum Score of 37, which is Weak. NiSource Inc. has a Momentum Score of 38, which is Weak.

The Momentum Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Avista Corporation or NiSource Inc. has a strong enough Momentum Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Avista Corporation or NiSource Inc. is the better investment when it comes to momentum.

Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Avista Corporation	AVA	B
NiSource Inc.	NI	D

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Avista Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 66, which is Positive. NiSource Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 32, which is Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Avista Corporation

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Avista Corporation has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than NiSource Inc.. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Avista Corporation could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc. Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Growth and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Avista Corporation or NiSource Inc. Stock?

Overall, Avista Corporation stock has a Growth Score of 100, Momentum Score of 37 and Estimate Revisions Score of 66.

NiSource Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 77, Momentum Score of 38 and Estimate Revisions Score of 32.

Comparing Avista Corporation and NiSource Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.