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Hancock Whitney
(NASDAQ:HWC)
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Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:
$79.00
â–²(5.01% Upside)
Action:Downgraded
Date:10/21/26
The score is driven mainly by solid financial performance (healthy profitability, manageable leverage, strong cash conversion) and a constructive earnings-call outlook with maintained growth guidance. These positives are tempered by mixed technical signals (negative MACD and price below key moving averages) and banking-specific pressures highlighted on the call, including rising deposit costs, higher non-accrual loans, and reduced tangible common equity.
Positive Factors
Strong profitability and cash conversion
Hancock Whitney is producing solid profitability while converting earnings into cash efficiently. This combination supports internal funding for lending growth, technology, and client investment, and provides resilience through changing banking conditions without relying solely on external capital.
Negative Factors
Rising deposit and funding costs
Higher deposit pricing directly pressures the spread between asset yields and funding costs, potentially limiting net interest margin expansion even as loan growth continues. Persistent pricing competition could also make growth more expensive and reduce the benefit of favorable earning-asset yields.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong profitability and cash conversion
Hancock Whitney is producing solid profitability while converting earnings into cash efficiently. This combination supports internal funding for lending growth, technology, and client investment, and provides resilience through changing banking conditions without relying solely on external capital.
Read all positive factors
Hancock Whitney (HWC) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$5.95B
Dividend Yield2.7%
Average Volume (3M)884.59K
Price to Earnings (P/E)14.4
Beta (1Y)0.97
Revenue Growth-0.63%
EPS Growth-10.24%
CountryUS
Employees3,674
SectorFinancial
Sector Strength70
IndustryBanks - Regional
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)5.15
Shares Outstanding80,223,060
10 Day Avg. Volume780,120
30 Day Avg. Volume884,594
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio1.44
Price to Book (P/B)1.19
Price to Sales (P/S)2.62
P/FCF Ratio10.12
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.23
Enterprise Value/Revenue3.74
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit5.12
Enterprise Value/Ebitda12.48
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$84.80Price Target Upside12.72% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering5
EPS Forecast (FY)6.48
Revenue Forecast (FY)$1.63B
Hancock Whitney Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Hancock Whitney Corporation, founded in 1899 and headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, functions as the financial holding company for Hancock Whitney Bank. This institution delivers a comprehensive range of traditional and online banking solutio...
How the Company Makes Money
Hancock Whitney primarily makes money through (1) net interest income and (2) noninterest income. Net interest income is earned from the spread between interest collected on earning assets—principally loans (such as commercial and industrial loans...
Hancock Whitney Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Oct 20, 2026
(Q3-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Jan 19, 2027
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call was predominantly positive, with strong profitability, organic loan and deposit growth, improved criticized loans, successful integration of One Florida Bank, maintained low-double-digit growth guidance, and solid operating and capital metrics. The principal challenges were higher deposit costs, increased non-accrual loans, a decline in TCE to 8.05%, and the likely pause in share repurchases. Management nevertheless expressed confidence in continued growth and profitability.Positive Updates
Strong Third-Quarter Profitability
Third-quarter adjusted net income was $134 million, or $1.66 per share, compared with $127 million, or $1.55 per share, in the second quarter. Adjusting for One Florida Bank acquisition expenses, EPS improved 17% year over year and PPNR grew 8% year over year.
Negative Updates
Non-Accrual Loans Increased
Non-accrual loans increased $19 million to $133 million during the quarter, although net charge-offs remained flat at 16 basis points.
Read all updates
Q3-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Strong Third-Quarter Profitability
Third-quarter adjusted net income was $134 million, or $1.66 per share, compared with $127 million, or $1.55 per share, in the second quarter. Adjusting for One Florida Bank acquisition expenses, EPS improved 17% year over year and PPNR grew 8% year over year.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
For full year 2026, guidance remains unchanged for loan and deposit growth at low double-digit growth, with net charge-offs to average loans expected to come in at between 15 and 25 basis points; revised guidance calls for net interest income to be up between 9% and 9.5%, fee income up between 5.5% and 6%, and both operating expenses and PPNR up between 8% and 8.5%. For the fourth quarter, the company assumes one 25 basis point rate hike in December with minimum impact, expects organic loan growth of 4% linked quarter annualized and deposits growth of the better part of 9% linked quarter annualized to at least continue, anticipates a similar increase in cost of deposits, maybe a basis point or two more, and views modest NIM expansion as somewhere between 3, 4, 5 basis points.Hancock Whitney Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
74
Positive
Balance Sheet
70
Positive
Cash Flow
67
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 1.96B | 2.02B | 2.05B | 1.89B | 1.47B | 1.35B |
| Gross Profit | 1.43B | 1.47B | 1.39B | 1.31B | 1.41B | 1.37B |
| EBITDA | 586.87M | 662.81M | 615.69M | 536.40M | 704.81M | 613.83M |
| Net Income | 427.42M | 486.07M | 460.81M | 392.60M | 524.09M | 463.21M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 36.35B | 35.47B | 35.08B | 35.58B | 35.18B | 36.53B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 1.22B | 563.22M | 6.68B | 6.10B | 6.44B | 11.22B |
| Total Debt | 1.89B | 1.34B | 967.38M | 1.52B | 2.23B | 2.03B |
| Total Liabilities | 31.90B | 31.01B | 30.95B | 31.77B | 31.84B | 32.86B |
| Stockholders Equity | 4.44B | 4.46B | 4.13B | 3.80B | 3.34B | 3.67B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 559.70M | 523.06M | 615.50M | 470.22M | 812.88M | 562.15M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 577.45M | 541.78M | 625.74M | 495.25M | 842.02M | 585.69M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -1.13B | -314.36M | 274.76M | -295.21M | 662.36M | -3.22B |
| Financing Cash Flow | 617.04M | -239.34M | -886.79M | -203.29M | -1.34B | 2.51B |
Hancock Whitney Technical Analysis
Positive
75.23
Price Trends
74.12
Negative
74.05
Negative
69.98
Positive
Market Momentum
-0.27
Negative
51.45
Neutral
83.78
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For HWC, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 75.23 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 72.68, above the 50-day MA of 74.12, and above the 200-day MA of 69.98, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.27 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 51.45 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 83.78 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for HWC.
Hancock Whitney Risk Analysis
Hancock Whitney disclosed 39 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Hancock Whitney reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Hancock Whitney Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76 Outperform | $5.88B | 11.89 | 10.95% | 2.93% | 2.37% | 5.57% | |
73 Outperform | $2.64B | 11.47 | 11.01% | 2.19% | -0.31% | 10.81% | |
69 Neutral | $5.95B | 14.40 | 9.34% | 2.70% | -0.63% | -10.24% | |
68 Neutral | $3.69B | 12.00 | 8.13% | 2.33% | 27.48% | 31.72% | |
68 Neutral | $2.58B | 11.50 | 11.98% | 1.57% | 26.41% | 110.85% | |
68 Neutral | $18.00B | 11.42 | 9.92% | 3.81% | 9.73% | 1.22% | |
67 Neutral | $5.41B | 14.55 | 9.25% | 0.99% | 2.30% | -2.55% |
* Financial Sector Average
HWC
Hancock Whitney
73.48
19.32
35.67%
ABCB
Ameris Bancorp
82.37
10.61
14.79%
HOMB
Home Bancshares
30.15
3.77
14.28%
RNST
Renasant
41.44
7.73
22.92%
TRMK
Trustmark
46.35
9.17
24.68%
FBK
FB Financial
53.62
-0.18
-0.34%
Hancock Whitney Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions
Hancock Whitney Reports Q3 Earnings and OFB Acquisition Impact
Positive
Oct 20, 2026
Hancock Whitney reported third quarter 2026 net income of $110.1 million, or $1.36 per diluted share, down from $127.0 million, or $1.55 per share, in the second quarter, with results reflecting a $30.4 million pretax charge tied to its August 1 a...
Business Operations and StrategyM&A Transactions
Hancock Whitney Completes Acquisition of OFB Bancshares, Inc.
Positive
Aug 3, 2026
Hancock Whitney Corporation has completed its previously announced acquisition of OFB Bancshares, Inc., the parent of One Florida Bank, in a two-step merger transaction effective August 1, 2026, with Hancock Whitney and Hancock Whitney Bank emergi...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions
Hancock Whitney reports strong Q2 earnings and growth
Positive
Jul 21, 2026
Hancock Whitney reported second-quarter 2026 net income of $127.0 million, or $1.55 per diluted share, up sharply from $47.4 million, or $0.57 per share, in the first quarter, which was weighed down by a $98.6 million securities portfolio restruct...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.