Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Given New $85.00 Price Target at Stephens

Key Points

• Stephens lowered its price target on Hancock Whitney from $86 to $85 while keeping an overweight rating, implying about 11% upside from the current price.
• Hancock Whitney’s latest quarterly results were solid, with EPS of $1.55 matching estimates and revenue of $403.57 million topping expectations. Earnings also improved from $1.37 per share a year earlier.
• Overall analyst sentiment remains constructive, with the stock carrying an average “Buy” rating and an average price target of $81.56, despite a few mixed rating changes from other firms.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by investment analysts at Stephens from $86.00 to $85.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Stephens' price target would suggest a potential upside of 11.01% from the stock's current price.

HWC has been the subject of several other research reports. Hovde Group lowered shares of Hancock Whitney from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and set a $74.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Barclays increased their target price on Hancock Whitney from $76.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings cut Hancock Whitney from a "buy (b)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $87.00 price target on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research report on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $81.56.

Hancock Whitney Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ HWC opened at $76.57 on Wednesday. Hancock Whitney has a 12 month low of $54.05 and a 12 month high of $79.36. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $71.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $68.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The company has a market cap of $6.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.77 and a beta of 0.95.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.55. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.20% and a net margin of 21.34%.The company had revenue of $403.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $398.89 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.37 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Hancock Whitney will post 6.47 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Hancock Whitney news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 417 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.16, for a total transaction of $28,005.72. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,066 shares in the company, valued at $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 SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Amundi acquired a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the 1st quarter valued at $50,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position 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 boosted its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 22.9% during 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 in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 951.9% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 123,812 shares of the company's stock worth $6,494,000 after purchasing an additional 112,042 shares during the last quarter. 81.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Hancock Whitney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney delivered Q2 earnings of $1.55 per share, matching Wall Street estimates, while revenue of $403.57 million topped consensus, signaling stable core performance. Hancock Whitney quarterly results
• Positive Sentiment: The bank posted better year-over-year results, with EPS rising from $1.37 a year ago to $1.55, which supports the view that profitability is improving. Hancock Whitney matches Q2 earnings estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney also received regulatory approval for its OFB acquisition, reducing a key uncertainty around the deal and potentially supporting future growth. Regulatory approval for OFB acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains favorable, with Hancock Whitney carrying an average “Buy” rating, but this is more of a background support factor than a new catalyst. Analyst rating update
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call transcript and presentation may help investors assess management’s outlook, but no major new negative surprise is evident from the headline results. Earnings call transcript

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.

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