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

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.55, FiscalAI reports. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 21.34% and a return on equity of 11.20%. The company had revenue of $403.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $398.89 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.37 EPS.

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

HWC opened at $76.64 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $71.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $68.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.22 billion, a PE ratio of 15.74 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Hancock Whitney has a 12-month low of $54.05 and a 12-month high of $79.36.

Hancock Whitney Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.07%.

Hancock Whitney News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney reported Q2 earnings of $1.55 per share, matching Wall Street estimates and topping the $1.37 earned a year ago, which suggests steady profitability and no earnings surprise to the downside. Hancock Whitney (HWC) Matches Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue came in at $403.6 million, slightly ahead of expectations, while return on equity of 11.2% and a net margin of 21.34% point to healthy operating performance. MarketBeat earnings report and transcript link
• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney also received regulatory approval for its One Florida Bank acquisition, reducing execution risk and keeping the deal on track for potential growth and market expansion. Hancock Whitney receives regulatory approval for OFB acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to rate HWC as a Buy on average, reinforcing a constructive long-term outlook but not necessarily driving immediate trading. Hancock Whitney Corporation Given Average Rating of Buy by Analysts

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 417 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 25,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,683,432.56. This trade represents a 1.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hancock Whitney

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HWC. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 67.6% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 627 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Hancock Whitney in the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Amundi acquired a new stake in Hancock Whitney in the 1st quarter worth about $50,000. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in Hancock Whitney by 49.4% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 811 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 84,400.0% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 845 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 844 shares in the last quarter. 81.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on HWC shares. DA Davidson boosted their target price on Hancock Whitney from $79.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Citigroup increased their price target on Hancock Whitney from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Hovde Group downgraded Hancock Whitney from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $74.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Benchmark initiated coverage on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $84.00 target price for the company. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $80.50.

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.