How did AVA's Q4 earnings surprise investors?

Avista Corporation's (AVA) Q4 2024 earnings report revealed a mix of positive and negative surprises for investors, primarily characterized by the following key points: 1. **Earnings Per Share (EPS) Miss**: The reported EPS was $0.84, which fell short of the forecasted $0.89. This indicates a negative surprise as the company's actual performance was lower than what investors might have anticipated. 2. **Revenue Alignment**: The estimated revenue for the quarter was $487.48 million, which aligns with the reported revenue. This suggests that Avista's revenue performance was in line with expectations. 3. **Stock Reaction**: Despite the EPS miss, the company's stock rose by 4.31% in pre-market trading. This could be attributed to positive market sentiment or reactions to other aspects of the earnings report not related to the EPS figure. 4. **Mixed Outlook**: The earnings call conveyed a mixed outlook with positive developments, such as significant investments in infrastructure, and notable challenges. This suggests that while there are optimistic aspects to the company's future, there are also areas of concern. 5. **Full-Year Performance**: Avista reported a consolidated earnings per diluted share of $2.29 for the full year of 2024. This indicates a solid performance for the year, which might have helped offset some of the negative sentiment from the Q4 earnings miss. In conclusion, Avista's Q4 earnings report surprised investors with a lower-than-expected EPS, but the company's stock reacted positively, and the full-year performance and mixed outlook provide a more comprehensive view of the company's health.