DA Davidson Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Stock

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at DA Davidson from $65.00 to $67.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. DA Davidson's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 11.28% from the company's current price. DA Davidson also issued estimates for Hancock Whitney's Q3 2025 earnings at $1.45 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $6.09 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on HWC. Stephens decreased their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $73.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Hovde Group raised their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $62.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut shares of Hancock Whitney from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $62.00 to $63.00 in a report on Friday, July 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $66.71.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ HWC traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $60.21. 1,437,146 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 632,611. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a PE ratio of 11.09 and a beta of 1.05. Hancock Whitney has a 12 month low of $43.90 and a 12 month high of $62.40. The company's 50 day moving average price is $56.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $55.18.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 15th. The company reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.36 by $0.01. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 23.28% and a return on equity of 11.21%. The firm had revenue of $377.98 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $375.99 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.31 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Hancock Whitney will post 5.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Hancock Whitney news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 838 shares of Hancock Whitney stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.09, for a total transaction of $40,299.42. Following the sale, the director directly owned 23,019 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,106,983.71. The trade was a 3.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.91% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 199,532 shares of the company's stock worth $10,465,000 after acquiring an additional 1,882 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 5.1% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,016 shares of the company's stock worth $525,000 after purchasing an additional 484 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the 4th quarter worth approximately $624,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney during the first quarter worth approximately $281,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its position in Hancock Whitney by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,027,364 shares of the company's stock worth $105,139,000 after purchasing an additional 128,860 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.22% of the company's stock.

Hancock Whitney Company Profile

Hancock Whitney Corporation operates as the financial holding company for Hancock Whitney Bank that provides traditional and online banking services to commercial, small business, and retail customers. It offers various transaction and savings deposit products consisting of brokered deposits, time deposits, and money market accounts; treasury management services, secured and unsecured loan products including revolving credit facilities, and letters of credit and similar financial guarantees; and trust and investment management services to retirement plans, corporations, and individuals, and investment advisory and brokerage products.