Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Meets Estimates

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.66, FiscalAI reports. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.52% and a net margin of 20.51%. The company had revenue of $421.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $421.75 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 EPS.

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

• Third-quarter profitability improved: adjusted EPS rose 17% year over year to $1.66, while adjusted ROA was 1.41%, ROTCE was 16.4%, and the efficiency ratio was 54.46%.
• Excluding the One Florida Bank acquisition, loans grew 4% annualized and deposits grew 9% annualized, with management maintaining its full-year low-double-digit growth outlook. The acquisition added customers, bankers and liquidity, and closed on August 1.
• Net interest margin expanded five basis points to 3.61%, supported by higher loan and bond yields, balance-sheet growth and acquisition-related purchase-accounting accretion. Management expects another modest 3–5 basis points of margin expansion in the fourth quarter.
• Asset quality was described as stable: criticized loans improved for the seventh consecutive quarter, while non-accrual loans increased $19 million to $133 million. The allowance coverage ratio remained solid at 1.42%, and full-year net charge-offs are still expected at 15–25 basis points.
• Tangible common equity fell to 8.05% after the One Florida acquisition, share repurchases and a decline in accumulated other comprehensive income. Although one million shares remained under the 2026 buyback authorization, management indicated it will likely pause repurchases until interest-rate and capital conditions become clearer.

Hancock Whitney Trading Down 2.5%

HWC opened at $72.30 on Thursday. Hancock Whitney has a fifty-two week low of $55.11 and a fifty-two week high of $80.13. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $5.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.55 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $74.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $72.33.

Hancock Whitney Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 4th. Hancock Whitney’s payout ratio is 39.22%.

Key Hancock Whitney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter earnings improved. Hancock Whitney reported adjusted EPS of $1.66, up from $1.49 a year earlier, while revenue reached $421.91 million versus the $421.75 million consensus estimate. The company’s net margin was 21.81% and return on equity was 11.36%. Hancock Whitney Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Loan-growth momentum and reinvestment plans were encouraging. Management said newly hired bankers generated 77% of third-quarter loan growth. It also expects to reinvest $300 million of maturing bonds yielding above 5.5%, which could support future interest income depending on reinvestment rates and credit conditions. Hancock Whitney: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: The headline quarterly results were essentially in line with expectations. EPS matched the broader consensus of $1.66, while revenue was only modestly above estimates. This indicates steady execution but provides limited evidence of a major near-term earnings upside surprise. Hancock Whitney Q3 Earnings Flash
• Negative Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered its price target from $80 to $79 and maintained a “market perform” rating. Although the revised target still implies potential upside from recent trading levels, the reduction signals limited conviction and may have pressured the stock after earnings. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Lowers Hancock Whitney Price Target

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens cut their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $87.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $87.00 to $86.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $84.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Emory L. Mayfield, Jr. sold 4,990 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.40, for a total value of $381,236.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Michael Achary sold 22,694 shares of the firm’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 transaction, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

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.