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

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55, FiscalAI reports. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 21.81% and a return on equity of 11.35%. The business had revenue of $403.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $398.89 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.37 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis.

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

• Hancock Whitney reported a solid second quarter with net income of $127 million, or $1.55 per share, alongside strong profitability metrics including a 1.42% ROA, 55.3% efficiency ratio, and 14.9% ROTCE.
• Balance sheet momentum remained healthy, with loans up 5% year over year and deposits up 2%; management said loan production was strong across most businesses and deposits are increasingly funding loan growth.
• Asset quality continued to improve, as criticized commercial loans fell for a sixth straight quarter and net charge-offs improved to 16 basis points from 19 basis points, with reserves holding at a solid 1.42% of loans.
• The company raised its full-year outlook for deposits to mid-single-digit growth and said second-half guidance reflects continued loan and deposit growth, though management expects deposit costs and loan pricing to remain competitive.
• Management secured approval for the One Florida Bank acquisition with an expected August 1 close, and said the deal should lift 2026 growth while cost savings will be fully realized by the start of 2027.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

NASDAQ:HWC opened at $76.40 on Thursday. 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 $6.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.98 and a beta of 0.95. Hancock Whitney has a fifty-two week low of $54.05 and a fifty-two week high of $79.36. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $71.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.66.

Hancock Whitney Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio is 41.07%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on HWC. Benchmark increased their target price on Hancock Whitney from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen cut Hancock Whitney from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Barclays upped their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $76.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Hovde Group lowered Hancock Whitney from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $74.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Hancock Whitney has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $83.56.

Key Headlines Impacting Hancock Whitney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney reported Q2 earnings of $1.55 per share, matching estimates, while revenue of about $403.6 million topped expectations, helped by stronger net interest income, fee income, lower provisions, and loan growth. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s earnings call and presentation highlighted strong EPS growth, which may reinforce confidence in the bank’s operating momentum. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney received regulatory approval for its OFB acquisition, a potential strategic catalyst that could expand its footprint and earnings base over time. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target to $80 from $78 but kept a “market perform” rating, signaling limited near-term upside despite the higher valuation view. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens trimmed its price target to $85 from $86 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, suggesting analysts remain constructive overall even as they adjust expectations. Article title

Insider Buying and Selling at Hancock Whitney

In other news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 417 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.16, for a total transaction of $28,005.72. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,683,432.56. The trade was a 1.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Channing Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hancock Whitney during the fourth quarter worth about $80,246,000. UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 134.3% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 909,460 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,941,000 after buying an additional 521,261 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 957.7% in the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 324,936 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,692,000 after buying an additional 294,215 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 898.0% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 314,473 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,689,000 after buying an additional 282,962 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 355.1% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 263,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,485,000 after buying an additional 205,443 shares during the period. 81.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.