Hancock Whitney

HWC · NASDAQ

$74.13+$1.63 (+2.25%)TodayMarket closed · Oct 20, 7:30 PM ET

Prev close $72.50

HWC analyst rating

BuyConsensus of 8 analysts over the last 12 months. 88% rate it a buy.

Strong buy1
Buy6
Hold1
Underperform0
Sell0

12-month price target · 11 analysts

Average $85.40 (+15.2% upside)

Low: $74.74
Now: $74.13
High: $95.55

Upgrades and downgrades

The latest rating actions, newest first

HWC analyst upgrades, downgrades and rating actions
Firm	Date	Action	Rating	Price target	Hit rate
Barclays	Oct 5, 2026	Maintains	Overweight	$82.00 → $85.00	54%
Citigroup	Sep 22, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$87.00 → $86.00	40%
Barclays	Aug 3, 2026	Maintains	Overweight	$80.00 → $82.00	54%
Benchmark	Jul 22, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$84.00 → $91.00	39%
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods	Jul 22, 2026	Maintains	Market Perform	$78.00 → $80.00	72%
Stephens & Co.	Jul 22, 2026	Maintains	Overweight	$86.00 → $85.00	63%
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods	Jul 9, 2026	Maintains	Market Perform	$72.00 → $78.00	72%
Barclays	Jul 7, 2026	Maintains	Overweight	$76.00 → $80.00	54%
Citigroup	Jun 25, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$81.00 → $82.00	40%
Benchmark	Jun 25, 2026	Initiates	Buy	$84.00	39%

The case for and against

Updated Oct 14, 2026

Bull case

Hancock Whitney is supported by resilient core earnings, as 2Q26 GAAP/operating EPS of $1.55 met consensus while NII-FTE of $295.2 million modestly beat estimates on a larger average earning-asset base and lower deposit funding costs, even as NIM stayed flat at 3.57%. Its outlook is strengthened by improving 2Q26 loan growth trends, higher 2026 guidance, and continued capital return, including 713K shares repurchased in 2Q26 with CET1 at 13.2% and TCE at 9.8%, signaling healthy capital generation. The pending $378 million One Florida Bank acquisition should add $1.7 billion of loans and $1.9 billion of deposits, expand Florida scale, and lift projected 2027 ROTCE to 16.2% with meaningful EPS accretion.

Bear case

Hancock Whitney is facing a cautious fundamental outlook because, despite stable credit trends, its risk profile remains exposed to cyclical and execution-sensitive factors that could pressure earnings. Criticized commercial loans improved to 2.6% of total loans from 2.8%, nonaccrual loans fell to 0.46%, and NCOs were only 0.16%, yet the company still maintains FY2026 NCO guidance of 15-25 bps and carries elevated exposure to health care and social assistance, retail trade, and hospitality. In addition, banking industry risks, potential NIM compression from a flat or inverted yield curve, and M&A integration, dilution, and regulatory risks could weigh on profitability and make sustained outperformance difficult.

Information on this page is provided for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Market data is delayed at least 15 minutes and is provided without warranty. Analyst ratings, price targets and company data come from third-party sources. Past performance does not guarantee future results.