Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.04 EPS

Key Points

• Hancock Whitney reported adjusted EPS of $1.52, beating estimates by $0.04 and showing improved profitability, although quarterly revenue was down about 19.7% year‑over‑year.
• Net interest margin widened 7 bps to 3.55% after a January bond portfolio restructuring, and management expects this plus CD repricing to support further NIM expansion while guiding to mid‑single‑digit loan growth for 2026.
• The company returned capital to shareholders—repurchasing 1.4M shares and raising the quarterly dividend 11% to $0.50—even as deposits declined $198M, with DDAs and CD renewal rates remaining relatively strong.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.04, Zacks reports. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.16% and a net margin of 24.05%.The company had revenue of $393.64 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $400.01 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.38 EPS. Hancock Whitney's quarterly revenue was down 19.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Hancock Whitney's conference call:

• Strong quarterly profitability — adjusted EPS of $1.52, adjusted ROA of 1.43% and ROTCE of 14.64% all improved from the prior quarter, with adjusted EPS up >10% versus year-ago.
• Net interest margin expanded 7 bps to 3.55%, driven by a lower cost of funds and higher bond yields from the January bond portfolio restructuring; management expects this restructuring plus CD repricing to support NIM expansion for the year.
• Loan production totaled $1.2 billion (up $365M YoY) and loans grew $33M this quarter; management reiterated a mid‑single‑digit loan growth guide for 2026, citing a strong pipeline and 27 net new revenue producers (targeting ~50 hires for the year).
• Management continued proactive capital return — repurchased 1.4M shares and raised the quarterly dividend 11% to $0.50 — while keeping strong capital ratios (TCE 9.93%, CET1 13.3%) and planning similar repurchase activity going forward.
• Deposits declined $198M (‑3% annualized) driven by seasonal public fund outflows and retail CD maturities, though DDAs ended strong at 36% and CD renewal rates remain around 85%.

Hancock Whitney Price Performance

HWC opened at $68.49 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The company has a market capitalization of $5.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.06 and a beta of 1.02. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $65.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.19. Hancock Whitney has a 1 year low of $48.46 and a 1 year high of $75.43.

Hancock Whitney Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Hancock Whitney's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Hancock Whitney's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.21%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Christopher S. Ziluca sold 5,227 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.57, for a total value of $358,415.39. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 33,301 shares in the company, valued at $2,283,449.57. This represents a 13.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HWC. Amundi purchased a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the 1st quarter worth approximately $50,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in Hancock Whitney by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 51,664 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,710,000 after purchasing an additional 2,255 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Hancock Whitney by 22.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,755 shares of the company's stock valued at $197,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 4.2% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 287,471 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,078,000 after purchasing an additional 11,551 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 951.9% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 123,812 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,494,000 after purchasing an additional 112,042 shares during the period. 81.22% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Hancock Whitney from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Hancock Whitney in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $76.57.

About Hancock Whitney

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.