Hancock Whitney Q1 EPS Estimate Lifted by Zacks Research

Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2028 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Hancock Whitney in a report released on Tuesday, August 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $1.85 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.83. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Hancock Whitney’s current full-year earnings is $6.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Hancock Whitney’s Q2 2028 earnings at $1.92 EPS.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.36% and a net margin of 21.81%.The firm had revenue of $403.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $398.89 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.37 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on HWC. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Hancock Whitney in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Hancock Whitney from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $79.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Stephens cut their price target on Hancock Whitney from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hancock Whitney has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $83.78.

Hancock Whitney Price Performance

NASDAQ:HWC opened at $78.22 on Wednesday. Hancock Whitney has a 12-month low of $54.05 and a 12-month high of $79.36. The firm has a market cap of $6.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.34 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s 50-day moving average is $74.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $69.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HWC. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in Hancock Whitney during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in 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 period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in 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 period. 81.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hancock Whitney

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

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 given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.22%.

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.