Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Given New $80.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) had its target price raised by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $78.00 to $80.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a market perform rating on the stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on HWC. Benchmark boosted their price target on Hancock Whitney from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays lifted their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $76.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Zacks Research upgraded Hancock Whitney from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Hancock Whitney from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.56.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

NASDAQ:HWC opened at $76.40 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $71.60 and its 200-day moving average is $68.66. Hancock Whitney has a 52-week low of $54.05 and a 52-week high of $79.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $6.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.98 and a beta of 0.95.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 21.81% and a return on equity of 11.35%. The business 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 business earned $1.37 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Hancock Whitney will post 6.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Hancock Whitney Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 5th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.07%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hancock Whitney news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 417 shares of Hancock Whitney stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.16, for a total transaction of $28,005.72. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,683,432.56. The trade was a 1.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Channing Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hancock Whitney in the 4th quarter valued at $80,246,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Hancock Whitney in the fourth quarter valued at $57,463,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in Hancock Whitney by 18,614.2% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 535,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,071,000 after acquiring an additional 532,180 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG raised its stake in Hancock Whitney by 134.3% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 909,460 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,941,000 after acquiring an additional 521,261 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney during the first quarter worth $23,071,000. 81.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Hancock Whitney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney reported Q2 earnings of $1.55 per share, matching estimates, while revenue of about $403.6 million topped expectations, helped by stronger net interest income, fee income, lower provisions, and loan growth. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s earnings call and presentation highlighted strong EPS growth, which may reinforce confidence in the bank’s operating momentum. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: Hancock Whitney received regulatory approval for its OFB acquisition, a potential strategic catalyst that could expand its footprint and earnings base over time. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target to $80 from $78 but kept a “market perform” rating, signaling limited near-term upside despite the higher valuation view. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens trimmed its price target to $85 from $86 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, suggesting analysts remain constructive overall even as they adjust expectations. Article title

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.