Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Stock Rating Lowered by Piper Sandler

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) was downgraded by Piper Sandler from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note issued on Friday, FinViz reports. They presently have a $71.50 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $88.00. Piper Sandler‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 10.00% from the stock’s current price.

HWC has been the topic of several other research reports. Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $87.00 to $86.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stephens decreased their price objective on shares of Hancock Whitney from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Hancock Whitney from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $82.72.

Hancock Whitney Stock Down 10.2%

HWC stock opened at $65.00 on Friday. Hancock Whitney has a twelve month low of $55.76 and a twelve month high of $80.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The stock has a market cap of $5.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.08 and a beta of 0.98. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $73.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $71.04.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.66. The company had revenue of $421.91 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $421.75 million. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 20.51% and a return on equity of 11.65%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Hancock Whitney will post 6.42 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Hancock Whitney

In other Hancock Whitney news, insider Emory L. Mayfield, Jr. sold 4,990 shares of Hancock Whitney stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.40, for a total value of $381,236.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 15,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,189,166. The trade was a 24.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney by 8.3% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $143,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Abel Hall LLC lifted its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 1.5% in the third quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 9,984 shares of the company’s stock worth $719,000 after buying an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 26.0% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 852 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Hancock Whitney by 3.5% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 5,906 shares of the company’s stock valued at $425,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Hancock Whitney by 0.5% during the third quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 42,879 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,089,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.22% of the company’s stock.

Hancock Whitney News Summary

Investors following HWC have been watching these news items:

• Neutral Sentiment: Hancock Whitney agreed to acquire Trustmark Corporation in an approximately $3.2 billion all-stock deal. The transaction could expand the company’s scale, but its ultimate effect on shareholder value will depend on the terms, execution, and benefits of combining the banks. Hancock Whitney to buy Trustmark in $3.2B deal
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder-rights law firm Halper Sadeh said it is investigating whether Hancock Whitney is obtaining a fair price for shareholders. The announcement is an inquiry, not a finding of wrongdoing, but it may add uncertainty around the transaction. HWC Stock Alert: Halper Sadeh LLC is Investigating Whether Hancock Whitney Corporation is Obtaining a Fair Price for its Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered several quarterly and annual earnings estimates, including its FY2027 forecast to $7.12 per share from $7.22 and FY2028 to $7.68 from $7.72. The firm maintained a Hold rating; these modest cuts may weigh on sentiment, though the estimates predate the acquisition announcement. Zacks Research earnings estimate updates

About Hancock Whitney

Hancock Whitney is a bank holding company headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, whose principal subsidiary is Hancock Whitney Bank. The company provides personal and business banking services, including deposit accounts, loans, treasury management, mortgage lending, and online and mobile banking. It also offers wealth management, trust, and investment services. The bank serves customers across the Gulf South, with operations in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. Its history includes roots in Hancock County Bank, founded in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in 1899, and Whitney National Bank, established in New Orleans in 1883.