Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other research firms have also commented on HWC. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $87.00 price target on shares of Hancock Whitney in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $79.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.78.

Hancock Whitney Price Performance

Shares of Hancock Whitney stock opened at $79.78 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.82. Hancock Whitney has a one year low of $54.05 and a one year high of $80.13. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $75.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $69.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.64 and a beta of 0.95.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting 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 analyst estimates of $398.89 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.37 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Hancock Whitney will post 6.44 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hancock Whitney

In other Hancock Whitney news, CFO Michael M. Achary sold 22,694 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.18, for a total transaction of $1,728,828.92. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, the director directly owned 25,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,683,432.56. The trade was a 1.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Hancock Whitney in the second quarter worth about $814,839,000. Channing Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Hancock Whitney during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $80,246,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Hancock Whitney during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $57,463,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Hancock Whitney during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $55,605,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new position in shares of Hancock Whitney during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $40,112,000. Institutional investors own 81.22% of the company’s stock.

Key Hancock Whitney News

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.

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.