Zacks Research Forecasts Weaker Earnings for Hancock Whitney

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q4 2026 earnings-per-share forecast for Hancock Whitney to $1.69 from $1.73 and maintains a “Hold” rating.
• Analyst sentiment overall remains positive: MarketBeat reports a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $84.56.
• Hancock Whitney reported quarterly EPS of $1.66, matching estimates, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, equivalent to a 2.7% annualized yield.

Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, November 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $1.69 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.73. Zacks Research has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Hancock Whitney's current full-year earnings is $6.42 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Hancock Whitney's Q1 2027 earnings at $1.70 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.75 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.81 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.86 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $7.12 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.86 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.93 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $7.68 EPS.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Stephens dropped their target price on Hancock Whitney from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barclays increased their price target on Hancock Whitney from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Benchmark raised their price target on Hancock Whitney from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Hancock Whitney from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on Hancock Whitney from $80.00 to $79.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $84.56.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

Shares of HWC opened at $73.17 on Wednesday. Hancock Whitney has a 12 month low of $55.76 and a 12 month high of $80.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $73.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $71.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market cap of $5.82 billion, a PE ratio of 14.72 and a beta of 0.98.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.66. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.65% and a net margin of 20.51%. The company had revenue of $421.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $421.75 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share.

Hancock Whitney Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 4th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Hancock Whitney's payout ratio is 40.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hancock Whitney

In related news, insider Emory L. Mayfield, Jr. sold 4,990 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.40, for a total value of $381,236.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 15,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,189,166. This represents a 24.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hancock Whitney

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hancock Whitney in the second quarter valued at about $814,839,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 0.5% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,790,954 shares of the company's stock worth $304,652,000 after purchasing an additional 21,655 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the second quarter worth about $55,605,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the second quarter worth about $52,973,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the second quarter worth about $40,112,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.22% of the company's stock.

Hancock Whitney Company Profile

Hancock Whitney is a bank holding company headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, whose principal subsidiary is Hancock Whitney Bank. The company provides personal and business banking services, including deposit accounts, loans, treasury management, mortgage lending, and online and mobile banking. It also offers wealth management, trust, and investment services. The bank serves customers across the Gulf South, with operations in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. Its history includes roots in Hancock County Bank, founded in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in 1899, and Whitney National Bank, established in New Orleans in 1883.

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