Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $72.00 price target (up previously from $64.00) on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $74.00 price target (up previously from $68.00) on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hancock Whitney presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $62.56.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

Shares of HWC stock opened at $53.69 on Monday. Hancock Whitney has a 12 month low of $41.56 and a 12 month high of $62.40. The stock has a market cap of $4.62 billion, a PE ratio of 10.17 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $57.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $55.31.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 21st. The company reported $1.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.12. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 22.40% and a return on equity of 11.56%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.26 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Hancock Whitney will post 5.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hancock Whitney Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be given a $0.45 dividend. This is a positive change from Hancock Whitney’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.35%. Hancock Whitney’s payout ratio is 34.09%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HWC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Hancock Whitney in the 3rd quarter worth about $251,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its position in Hancock Whitney by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 9,985 shares of the company’s stock worth $510,000 after buying an additional 680 shares during the last quarter. Summit Global Investments purchased a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,445,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 179.7% during the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 26,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,347,000 after purchasing an additional 16,916 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hancock Whitney by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 31,687 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,621,000 after purchasing an additional 5,441 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.22% of the company’s stock.

About Hancock Whitney

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.