Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate Hancock Whitney a “Moderate Buy.” Six analysts recommend buying the stock, one rates it a strong buy and four advise holding, with an average 12-month price target of $83.78.
• Recent results exceeded revenue expectations. Hancock Whitney reported quarterly EPS of $1.55, in line with estimates, while revenue reached $403.57 million—up 6.9% year over year and above forecasts.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share. The annualized dividend is $2.00, representing a 2.5% yield, while insiders own 0.92% of shares and institutional investors hold 81.22%.

Shares of Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $83.7778.

A number of analysts have issued reports on HWC shares. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating and issued a $87.00 price target on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $79.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Hancock Whitney from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Trading of Hancock Whitney

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 8.3% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,909 shares of the company's stock valued at $143,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in Hancock Whitney by 0.6% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 24,457 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,555,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC grew its stake in Hancock Whitney by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 3,517 shares of the company's stock worth $224,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the period. BTC Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Hancock Whitney by 1.9% during the first quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,472 shares of the company's stock worth $539,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the period. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 31.0% in the first quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 719 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.22% of the company's stock.

Hancock Whitney News Summary

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.

Hancock Whitney Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of Hancock Whitney stock opened at $79.78 on Friday. Hancock Whitney has a fifty-two week low of $54.05 and a fifty-two week high of $80.13. The firm has a market cap of $6.40 billion, a PE ratio of 15.64 and a beta of 0.95. The business's fifty day moving average is $75.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $69.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

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 analysts' consensus estimates 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 return on equity of 11.36% and a net margin of 21.81%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.37 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Hancock Whitney will post 6.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Hancock Whitney Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued 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 presently 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source