Hancock Whitney Q2 EPS Estimate Raised by Zacks Research

Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) – Research analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, February 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will earn $1.47 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.41. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Hancock Whitney’s current full-year earnings is $5.53 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Hancock Whitney’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.56 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.59 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.04 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.60 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.66 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $6.82 EPS.

Several other analysts have also commented on HWC. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Hancock Whitney from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $76.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Hancock Whitney from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Barclays started coverage on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $76.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $75.25.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

NASDAQ HWC opened at $70.61 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.43 and a beta of 1.05. Hancock Whitney has a fifty-two week low of $43.90 and a fifty-two week high of $75.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $81.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $391.63 million. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 24.05% and a return on equity of 11.16%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.40 earnings per share.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Amundi bought a new stake in Hancock Whitney during the 1st quarter worth about $50,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 51,664 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,710,000 after purchasing an additional 2,255 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 22.9% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,755 shares of the company’s stock worth $197,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 4.2% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 287,471 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,078,000 after purchasing an additional 11,551 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in Hancock Whitney by 951.9% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 123,812 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,494,000 after purchasing an additional 112,042 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.22% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Hancock Whitney news, insider Christopher S. Ziluca sold 5,227 shares of Hancock Whitney stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.57, for a total transaction of $358,415.39. Following the completion of the sale, 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.91% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hancock Whitney Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a $0.50 dividend. This is a positive change from Hancock Whitney’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio is 31.69%.

Hancock Whitney News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised near‑term and longer‑term earnings estimates across multiple quarters and fiscal years — including FY2026 to $6.04 (from $5.81), FY2027 to $6.47 (from $6.26), and FY2028 to $6.82 — and lifted several quarterly EPS forecasts (examples: Q1 2026 to $1.41; Q1 2027 to $1.58; Q3 2027 to $1.62). Zacks maintains a “Strong‑Buy” rating on HWC, which is a constructive signal for forward earnings expectations. MarketBeat HWC
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest entries in the feed report a “large increase” but show 0 shares short and “NaN” changes versus prior reads — indicating a data error or reporting anomaly. Given the zero reported short volume and an effectively 0.0 days short‑interest ratio, this item does not provide meaningful evidence of rising bearish bets. MarketBeat HWC

About Hancock Whitney

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.