F.N.B. (NYSE:FNB – Get Free Report) and Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC – Get Free Report) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and dividends.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for F.N.B. and Hancock Whitney, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| F.N.B. | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Hancock Whitney | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3.00 |
F.N.B. presently has a consensus price target of $18.64, suggesting a potential upside of 15.65%. Hancock Whitney has a consensus price target of $70.00, suggesting a potential upside of 11.39%. Given F.N.B.’s higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe F.N.B. is more favorable than Hancock Whitney.
Profitability
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| F.N.B. | 17.88% | 7.94% | 1.04% |
| Hancock Whitney | 23.28% | 11.21% | 1.35% |
Institutional and Insider Ownership
79.3% of F.N.B. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 81.2% of Hancock Whitney shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of F.N.B. shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Hancock Whitney shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares F.N.B. and Hancock Whitney”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| F.N.B. | $1.64 billion | 3.54 | $465.00 million | $1.28 | 12.59 |
| Hancock Whitney | $2.06 billion | 2.59 | $460.82 million | $5.43 | 11.57 |
F.N.B. has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Hancock Whitney. Hancock Whitney is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than F.N.B., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Risk & Volatility
F.N.B. has a beta of 0.98, suggesting that its stock price is 2% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Hancock Whitney has a beta of 1.13, suggesting that its stock price is 13% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Dividends
F.N.B. pays an annual dividend of $0.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Hancock Whitney pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. F.N.B. pays out 37.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Hancock Whitney pays out 33.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Hancock Whitney has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years.
Summary
Hancock Whitney beats F.N.B. on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.
About F.N.B.
F.N.B. Corporation, a bank and financial holding company, provides a range of financial products and services primarily to consumers, corporations, governments, and small- to medium-sized businesses in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Community Banking, Wealth Management, and Insurance. The Community Banking segment offers commercial and consumer banking services, including corporate and small business banking, investment real estate financing, business credit, capital market, and lease financing services. It also provides consumer banking products and services, such as deposit products, mortgage and consumer lending services, and mobile and online banking services. The Wealth Management segment provides personal and corporate fiduciary services comprising administration of decedent and trust estates; and securities brokerage and investment advisory services, mutual funds, and annuities. The Insurance segment comprises commercial and personal insurance, and reinsurance products, as well as mezzanine financing options for small- to medium-sized businesses. The company operates community banking branches in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. F.N.B. Corporation was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
About Hancock Whitney
Hancock Whitney Corporation operates as the financial holding company for Hancock Whitney Bank that provides traditional and online banking services to commercial, small business, and retail customers. It offers various transaction and savings deposit products consisting of brokered deposits, time deposits, and money market accounts; treasury management services, secured and unsecured loan products including revolving credit facilities, and letters of credit and similar financial guarantees; and trust and investment management services to retirement plans, corporations, and individuals, and investment advisory and brokerage products. The company also provides commercial and industrial loans including real and non-real estate loans; construction and land development loans; and residential mortgages, as well as consumer loans. In addition, it offers commercial finance products to middle market and corporate clients, including leases and related structures; facilitates investments in new market tax credit activities and holding certain foreclosed assets; provides customers access to fixed annuity and life insurance products; and underwriting transactions products, as well as debt and mortgage-related securities. The company was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi.
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