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

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.66, FiscalAI reports. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.36% and a net margin of 21.81%. The business had revenue of $421.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $421.75 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.49 EPS.

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

• Third-quarter profitability improved: adjusted EPS rose 17% year over year to $1.66, while adjusted ROA was 1.41%, ROTCE was 16.4%, and the efficiency ratio was 54.46%.
• Excluding the One Florida Bank acquisition, loans grew 4% annualized and deposits grew 9% annualized, with management maintaining its full-year low-double-digit growth outlook. The acquisition added customers, bankers and liquidity, and closed on August 1.
• Net interest margin expanded five basis points to 3.61%, supported by higher loan and bond yields, balance-sheet growth and acquisition-related purchase-accounting accretion. Management expects another modest 3–5 basis points of margin expansion in the fourth quarter.
• Asset quality was described as stable: criticized loans improved for the seventh consecutive quarter, while non-accrual loans increased $19 million to $133 million. The allowance coverage ratio remained solid at 1.42%, and full-year net charge-offs are still expected at 15–25 basis points.
• Tangible common equity fell to 8.05% after the One Florida acquisition, share repurchases and a decline in accumulated other comprehensive income. Although one million shares remained under the 2026 buyback authorization, management indicated it will likely pause repurchases until interest-rate and capital conditions become clearer.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

NASDAQ:HWC opened at $74.13 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $74.46 and its 200-day moving average is $72.28. Hancock Whitney has a 52-week low of $55.11 and a 52-week high of $80.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82. The company has a market cap of $5.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.54 and a beta of 0.97.

Hancock Whitney Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th were given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 4th. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.22%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HWC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Hancock Whitney from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Zacks Research cut shares of Hancock Whitney from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $87.00 to $86.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $87.00 price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $84.56.

Insider Transactions at Hancock Whitney

In related news, insider Emory L. Mayfield, Jr. sold 4,990 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.40, for a total value of $381,236.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 15,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,189,166. This trade represents a 24.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael Achary sold 22,694 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hancock Whitney Company Profile

Hancock Whitney Corporation is a financial services company headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, and the parent company of Hancock Whitney Bank. The bank provides banking and financial services to individuals, businesses, and institutions through branches and digital banking channels.

Its products and services include checking and savings accounts, consumer and commercial lending, residential mortgages, credit cards, treasury and cash management services, and online and mobile banking.