Abbot Financial Management Inc. Invests $394,000 in Hancock Whitney Corporation $HWC

Key Points

• Abbot Financial Management initiated a $394,000 position in Hancock Whitney during the second quarter by purchasing 15,470 shares. Institutional investors collectively own 81.22% of the bank’s stock.
• Hancock Whitney’s latest quarter showed EPS of $1.55, in line with estimates, while revenue rose 6.9% year over year to $403.57 million, exceeding expectations. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $83.78.
• The stock recently traded near its 52-week high at $79.78, while the company announced a $0.50 quarterly dividend, or $2.00 annualized, representing a 2.5% yield. However, insiders recently sold shares and Zacks downgraded the stock to “Hold” after trimming earnings forecasts.

Abbot Financial Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 15,470 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $394,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,070,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 16.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 807,585 shares of the company's stock worth $51,354,000 after buying an additional 114,029 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney during the first quarter worth $1,714,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its position in Hancock Whitney by 139.9% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 47,921 shares of the company's stock worth $3,047,000 after acquiring an additional 27,942 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in 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 acquiring an additional 21,655 shares in the last quarter. 81.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Hancock Whitney News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hancock Whitney this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term earnings remain expected to grow. Zacks Research projects FY2027 EPS of $7.22, compared with $6.42 for FY2026, suggesting continued earnings expansion despite recent revisions. Zacks Research Expects Stronger Earnings for Hancock Whitney
• Positive Sentiment: M&A and higher-rate potential provide bullish catalysts. A Seeking Alpha analysis argued that Hancock Whitney’s rally is supported by possible industry consolidation and the earnings benefits that could result from higher interest rates, although the article’s conclusion was a downgrade. Hancock Whitney: M&A And Higher Rates Justify The Rally (Downgrade)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent operating performance provides support. Hancock Whitney’s latest reported quarter showed $1.55 in EPS, in line with estimates, while revenue exceeded expectations and increased 6.9% year over year. This helps explain investor confidence, though the results are not from the current news cycle.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed multiple EPS forecasts. The firm reduced its estimates for Q3 2026 EPS to $1.62 from $1.63 and FY2026 EPS to $6.42 from $6.45. It also lowered Q4 2026 to $1.73 from $1.75, Q1 2027 to $1.72 from $1.73, Q2 2027 to $1.77 from $1.79, Q3 2027 to $1.83 from $1.84, and FY2027 to $7.22 from $7.24. Zacks maintains a “Hold” rating, indicating limited conviction in additional near-term upside.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Hancock Whitney from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $87.00 price target on shares of Hancock Whitney in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Benchmark boosted their price target on Hancock Whitney from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Zacks Research downgraded Hancock Whitney from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $79.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hancock Whitney currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $83.78.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 417 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.16, for a total transaction of $28,005.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,683,432.56. This represents a 1.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Michael M. Achary sold 22,694 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.18, for a total value of $1,728,828.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 44,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,364,108.80. The trade was a 33.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

NASDAQ:HWC opened at $79.78 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $6.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.64 and a beta of 0.95. Hancock Whitney Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $54.05 and a fifty-two week high of $80.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $75.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.85.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.55. The business had revenue of $403.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $398.89 million. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 21.81% and a return on equity of 11.36%. The company's revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.37 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Hancock Whitney Corporation will post 6.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hancock Whitney Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Hancock Whitney's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.22%.

Hancock Whitney Company Profile

Hancock Whitney Corporation NASDAQ: HWC is a regional financial services company headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi. The firm was established in April 2019 through the merger of Hancock Holding Company and Whitney Holding Corporation, each of which traced its roots to the late 19th century. This combination created one of the largest bank holding companies in the Gulf South region, with a network of branches serving both urban and rural communities.

The company's core business activities include commercial banking, retail banking and wealth management services.

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