Brokerages Set Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC) Target Price at $62.56

Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $62.56.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $72.00 price objective (up previously from $64.00) on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Hancock Whitney from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $74.00 price objective (up previously from $68.00) on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Hancock Whitney from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th.

Hancock Whitney Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of HWC stock opened at $50.36 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $57.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $55.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. Hancock Whitney has a 1 year low of $41.56 and a 1 year high of $62.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.54 and a beta of 1.24.

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

Hancock Whitney Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This is a boost from Hancock Whitney’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.57%. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hancock Whitney

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Hancock Whitney in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. GeoWealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hancock Whitney during the fourth quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Hancock Whitney during the 4th quarter worth $92,000. Institutional investors own 81.22% of the company’s stock.

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.