Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the eight brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $61.25.

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Several analysts have issued reports on HWC shares. StockNews.com upgraded Hancock Whitney from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $69.00 to $62.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $68.00 to $62.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Stephens decreased their price target on Hancock Whitney from $73.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $70.00 price objective (up previously from $68.00) on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on HWC

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

HWC opened at $54.54 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $4.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.33 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $51.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $55.43. Hancock Whitney has a 1-year low of $43.60 and a 1-year high of $62.40.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.10. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 11.56% and a net margin of 22.40%. The business had revenue of $367.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $368.12 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Hancock Whitney will post 5.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hancock Whitney Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 5th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 5th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.30%. Hancock Whitney's payout ratio is currently 33.21%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 838 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.09, for a total transaction of $40,299.42. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 23,019 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,106,983.71. This trade represents a 3.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.91% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Hancock Whitney

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HWC. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the first quarter worth $31,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Hancock Whitney by 554.6% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 707 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney during the first quarter worth $41,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney during the fourth quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Amundi acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney during the first quarter worth $50,000. 81.22% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hancock Whitney Company Profile

Hancock Whitney Corporation operates as the financial holding company for Hancock Whitney Bank that provides traditional and online banking services to commercial, small business, and retail customers. It offers various transaction and savings deposit products consisting of brokered deposits, time deposits, and money market accounts; treasury management services, secured and unsecured loan products including revolving credit facilities, and letters of credit and similar financial guarantees; and trust and investment management services to retirement plans, corporations, and individuals, and investment advisory and brokerage products.

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