Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the nine analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $75.25.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on HWC shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on Hancock Whitney from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. DA Davidson increased their price target on Hancock Whitney from $77.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Barclays started coverage on Hancock Whitney in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $76.00 price target for the company. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th.

Hancock Whitney Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of HWC stock opened at $67.42 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $5.64 billion, a PE ratio of 11.87 and a beta of 1.05. Hancock Whitney has a 1 year low of $43.90 and a 1 year high of $71.20. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $64.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $61.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.48 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $81.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $391.63 million. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.16% and a net margin of 24.05%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.40 EPS. Research analysts predict that Hancock Whitney will post 5.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Hancock Whitney

In related news, insider Christopher S. Ziluca sold 5,227 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.57, for a total value of $358,415.39. Following the transaction, the insider owned 33,301 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,283,449.57. This trade represents a 13.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.91% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 929.5% in the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 453 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 67.6% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 627 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Hancock Whitney during the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 6,107.7% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 807 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 794 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi purchased a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney in the 1st quarter worth $50,000. 81.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.