Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC) Stock Holdings Lifted by Two Sigma Advisers LP

Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC - Free Report) by 18.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 30,600 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,700 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP's holdings in Hancock Whitney were worth $1,674,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 149.2% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 321,196 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,435,000 after buying an additional 192,295 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 14.2% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,393 shares of the company's stock worth $174,000 after purchasing an additional 422 shares during the period. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 1,987.7% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 51,420 shares of the company's stock worth $2,814,000 after purchasing an additional 48,957 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 12,845 shares of the company's stock valued at $703,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney in the fourth quarter valued at $49,000. 81.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hancock Whitney Stock Down 0.6%

Hancock Whitney stock traded down $0.33 during trading on Friday, reaching $54.83. 564,700 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 597,845. The company's 50-day moving average is $52.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. Hancock Whitney Co. has a 52-week low of $43.60 and a 52-week high of $62.40. The firm has a market cap of $4.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.38 and a beta of 1.05.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $367.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $368.12 million. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.56% and a net margin of 22.40%. On average, analysts predict that Hancock Whitney Co. will post 5.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Hancock Whitney Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 5th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 5th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.28%. Hancock Whitney's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.21%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 838 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.09, for a total value of $40,299.42. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 23,019 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,106,983.71. This represents a 3.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.91% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the company. Raymond James restated a "strong-buy" rating and issued a $62.00 price target (down previously from $72.00) on shares of Hancock Whitney in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Hancock Whitney from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Stephens cut their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $73.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $69.00 to $62.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $68.00 to $62.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $61.25.

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.