Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $80.00 to $79.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “market perform” rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 8.56% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Stephens dropped their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Hancock Whitney from $87.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays lifted their price target on Hancock Whitney from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Zacks Research downgraded Hancock Whitney from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Benchmark upped their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.56.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

NASDAQ HWC traded down $1.36 on Wednesday, hitting $72.77. 467,274 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 862,240. The company has a market capitalization of $5.84 billion, a PE ratio of 14.29 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The business’s fifty day moving average is $74.46 and its 200 day moving average is $72.28. Hancock Whitney has a 52 week low of $55.11 and a 52 week high of $80.13.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.66. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 21.81% and a return on equity of 11.36%. The company had revenue of $421.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $421.75 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Hancock Whitney will post 6.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Michael M. Achary sold 22,694 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 in the company, valued at $3,364,108.80. The trade was a 33.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Emory L. Mayfield, Jr. sold 4,990 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.40, for a total value of $381,236.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 15,565 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,189,166. This represents a 24.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Abel Hall LLC boosted its stake in Hancock Whitney by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 9,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $719,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 374,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,952,000 after buying an additional 8,543 shares in the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney in the 3rd quarter valued at $556,000. Martin Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Hancock Whitney during the 3rd quarter worth $220,000. Finally, Cim Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Hancock Whitney by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. Cim Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,534 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.22% of the company’s stock.

Key Hancock Whitney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.66 per share, up from $1.49 a year earlier, while revenue reached $421.91 million, slightly above the $421.75 million consensus estimate. Hancock Whitney Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Net margin was 21.81% and return on equity was 11.36%, indicating continued profitability and solid returns. The earnings presentation and call emphasized management’s operating execution and resilience. Hancock Whitney Q3 Results Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: EPS met the broader consensus estimate of $1.66, though it represented only a modest beat versus Zacks’ $1.65 estimate. The results therefore provide limited evidence of an earnings surprise capable of driving a major near-term revaluation. Hancock Whitney Earnings Flash
• Negative Sentiment: Hancock Whitney separately reported total net charge-offs for the quarter. Although the provided report does not specify the amount, the disclosure may focus investor attention on loan-credit quality and future provisioning needs. Hancock Whitney Reports Third-Quarter Net Charge-Offs

About Hancock Whitney

Hancock Whitney Corporation is a financial services company headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, and the parent company of Hancock Whitney Bank. The bank provides banking and financial services to individuals, businesses, and institutions through branches and digital banking channels.

Its products and services include checking and savings accounts, consumer and commercial lending, residential mortgages, credit cards, treasury and cash management services, and online and mobile banking.