Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Shares of Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $79.67 and last traded at $79.5050, with a volume of 19253 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $79.04.

Key Stories Impacting Hancock Whitney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term earnings remain expected to grow. Zacks Research projects FY2027 EPS of $7.22, compared with $6.42 for FY2026, suggesting continued earnings expansion despite recent revisions. Zacks Research Expects Stronger Earnings for Hancock Whitney
• Positive Sentiment: M&A and higher-rate potential provide bullish catalysts. A Seeking Alpha analysis argued that Hancock Whitney’s rally is supported by possible industry consolidation and the earnings benefits that could result from higher interest rates, although the article’s conclusion was a downgrade. Hancock Whitney: M&A And Higher Rates Justify The Rally (Downgrade)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent operating performance provides support. Hancock Whitney’s latest reported quarter showed $1.55 in EPS, in line with estimates, while revenue exceeded expectations and increased 6.9% year over year. This helps explain investor confidence, though the results are not from the current news cycle.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed multiple EPS forecasts. The firm reduced its estimates for Q3 2026 EPS to $1.62 from $1.63 and FY2026 EPS to $6.42 from $6.45. It also lowered Q4 2026 to $1.73 from $1.75, Q1 2027 to $1.72 from $1.73, Q2 2027 to $1.77 from $1.79, Q3 2027 to $1.83 from $1.84, and FY2027 to $7.22 from $7.24. Zacks maintains a “Hold” rating, indicating limited conviction in additional near-term upside.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on HWC. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research cut shares of Hancock Whitney from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $79.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Stephens cut their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $83.78.

Hancock Whitney Stock Up 0.5%

The stock has a market cap of $6.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.64 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $75.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $69.83.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.55. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.36% and a net margin of 21.81%.The company had revenue of $403.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $398.89 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.37 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Hancock Whitney Corporation will post 6.44 EPS for the current year.

Hancock Whitney Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hancock Whitney

In related news, CFO Michael M. Achary sold 22,694 shares of Hancock Whitney stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.18, for a total value of $1,728,828.92. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 44,160 shares in the company, valued at $3,364,108.80. This trade represents a 33.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 417 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.16, for a total transaction of $28,005.72. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,683,432.56. This represents a 1.64% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in HWC. Allworth Financial LP bought a new stake in Hancock Whitney during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in Hancock Whitney in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Hancock Whitney in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 70.9% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 612 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 67.6% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 627 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.22% of the company’s stock.

Hancock Whitney Company Profile

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.