Hancock Whitney Corporation (HWC) Reports 8% EPS Growth in Q4 2025, Plans to Hire 50 New Associates
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 21 2026
0mins
Should l Buy HWC?
Source: seekingalpha
- Strong Earnings Performance: Hancock Whitney reported a net income of $126 million and EPS of $1.49 in Q4 2025, maintaining stability compared to Q3, which underscores the company's consistent profitability and operational resilience.
- Balance Sheet Optimization: The completion of a $1.5 billion bond portfolio restructuring is expected to enhance the net interest margin by 7 basis points and add $0.23 to EPS annually, further strengthening financial flexibility and profitability.
- Optimistic Growth Outlook: Management projects a 5%-6% increase in net interest income for 2026, with mid-single-digit loan growth and low single-digit deposit growth anticipated, reflecting the company's confidence and proactive market positioning.
- Shareholder Return Plan: The board approved a new 5% share buyback program, aiming to enhance EPS through the repurchase of approximately $147 million in shares, demonstrating the company's recognition of its value and commitment to shareholders.
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Analyst Views on HWC
Wall Street analysts forecast HWC stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for HWC is 72.43 USD with a low forecast of 65.00 USD and a high forecast of 76.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
7 Analyst Rating
6 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 73.700
Low
65.00
Averages
72.43
High
76.00
Current: 73.700
Low
65.00
Averages
72.43
High
76.00
About HWC
Hancock Whitney Corporation is a bank holding company. The Company provides comprehensive financial services through its bank subsidiary, Hancock Whitney Bank (the Bank), a Mississippi state bank, and other nonbank affiliates. The Bank offers a broad range of traditional and online banking services to commercial, small business and retail customers, providing a variety of transaction and savings deposit products, treasury management services, secured and unsecured loan products (including revolving credit facilities), letters of credit and similar financial guarantees. The Bank provides trust and investment management services to retirement plans, corporations and individuals and provides its customers with access to investment advisory and brokerage products. It offers other services through bank and nonbank subsidiaries. The Bank’s subsidiaries provide commercial finance products to middle market and corporate clients, including leases and related structures.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Hancock Whitney Corporation Announces Dividend Increase for Q1 2026
- Dividend Increase: Hancock Whitney Corporation announced a cash dividend of $0.50 per share for Q1 2026, reflecting an increase of $0.05 or 11.1%, demonstrating the company's ongoing profitability and commitment to shareholder returns.
- Stable Dividend History: The company has paid uninterrupted quarterly dividends since 1967, showcasing its stability in the financial market and long-term commitment to shareholders, which enhances investor confidence.
- Payment Date: The dividend will be payable on March 16, 2026, to shareholders of record as of March 5, 2026, ensuring timely returns for investors and further solidifying the relationship between the company and its shareholders.
- Comprehensive Financial Services: Hancock Whitney offers a wide range of financial products and services across several states, including traditional and online banking, commercial banking, and investment services, highlighting its diversification and competitive position in the financial industry.
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Hancock Whitney Corporation (HWC) Reports 8% EPS Growth in Q4 2025, Plans to Hire 50 New Associates
- Strong Earnings Performance: Hancock Whitney reported a net income of $126 million and EPS of $1.49 in Q4 2025, maintaining stability compared to Q3, which underscores the company's consistent profitability and operational resilience.
- Balance Sheet Optimization: The completion of a $1.5 billion bond portfolio restructuring is expected to enhance the net interest margin by 7 basis points and add $0.23 to EPS annually, further strengthening financial flexibility and profitability.
- Optimistic Growth Outlook: Management projects a 5%-6% increase in net interest income for 2026, with mid-single-digit loan growth and low single-digit deposit growth anticipated, reflecting the company's confidence and proactive market positioning.
- Shareholder Return Plan: The board approved a new 5% share buyback program, aiming to enhance EPS through the repurchase of approximately $147 million in shares, demonstrating the company's recognition of its value and commitment to shareholders.
See More
Hancock Whitney Corp (HWC) Reports Q4 Earnings Growth to $1.49
- Earnings Growth: Hancock Whitney Corp's Q4 net income reached $125.57 million, translating to an EPS of $1.49, which is an increase from last year's $122.07 million and $1.40 per share, indicating stable profitability improvement.
- Revenue Increase: The company's revenue rose 6.7% year-over-year to $389.30 million from $364.77 million last year, reflecting enhanced competitiveness in the market.
- Market Expectations Met: The reported EPS aligns with analyst expectations, demonstrating predictability in financial performance, which helps bolster investor confidence.
- Financial Health: The growth in earnings and revenue suggests a strong financial position for Hancock Whitney, potentially supporting future investments and expansions, thereby solidifying its market standing.
See More
Hancock Whitney HWC Q4 2025 Earnings Transcript
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Hancock Whitney Q4 Earnings: $1.49 EPS, $391.8M Revenue Inline
- Revenue Growth: Hancock Whitney reported Q4 revenue of $391.8 million, reflecting a 6.6% year-over-year increase, demonstrating the company's resilience in a challenging economic environment despite overall sluggish growth.
- Stable EPS: The GAAP EPS of $1.49 was in line with market expectations, indicating effective cost control and revenue management, which helps maintain shareholder confidence amid market fluctuations.
- Capital Ratio Changes: The estimated CET1 ratio of 13.66% decreased by 43 basis points from the prior quarter, highlighting challenges in capital management, while the TCE ratio increased slightly to 10.06%, suggesting improved liquidity conditions.
- Efficiency Ratio Increase: The efficiency ratio rose to 54.93% from 54.10% in the previous quarter, indicating pressure on operational efficiency, which could impact future profitability.
See More
WaFd, Inc. Reports Q1 EPS of 79 Cents, Beating Estimates by 3 Cents
- Earnings Beat: WaFd, Inc. reported Q1 earnings per share of 79 cents, exceeding the Zacks consensus estimate of 76 cents, reflecting a significant year-over-year increase of 46% and demonstrating enhanced profitability.
- Net Income Growth: The quarterly net income available to common shareholders was $60.5 million, up 38.8% from the prior year and surpassing the estimate of $57.3 million, indicating effective revenue generation and cost management.
- Surge in Non-Interest Income: Total non-interest income reached $20.3 million, a 29% year-over-year increase driven by higher other income and increased deposit fees, showcasing the effectiveness of diversified revenue streams.
- Asset Quality Challenges: While total customer deposits remained nearly flat at $21.42 billion, the ratio of non-performing assets rose to 0.75%, highlighting the pressures on asset quality in the current economic climate.
See More
Hancock Whitney Corporation Announces Dividend Increase for Q1 2026
- Dividend Increase: Hancock Whitney Corporation announced a cash dividend of $0.50 per share for Q1 2026, reflecting an increase of $0.05 or 11.1%, demonstrating the company's ongoing profitability and commitment to shareholder returns.
- Stable Dividend History: The company has paid uninterrupted quarterly dividends since 1967, showcasing its stability in the financial market and long-term commitment to shareholders, which enhances investor confidence.
- Payment Date: The dividend will be payable on March 16, 2026, to shareholders of record as of March 5, 2026, ensuring timely returns for investors and further solidifying the relationship between the company and its shareholders.
- Comprehensive Financial Services: Hancock Whitney offers a wide range of financial products and services across several states, including traditional and online banking, commercial banking, and investment services, highlighting its diversification and competitive position in the financial industry.
See More
Hancock Whitney Corporation (HWC) Reports 8% EPS Growth in Q4 2025, Plans to Hire 50 New Associates
- Strong Earnings Performance: Hancock Whitney reported a net income of $126 million and EPS of $1.49 in Q4 2025, maintaining stability compared to Q3, which underscores the company's consistent profitability and operational resilience.
- Balance Sheet Optimization: The completion of a $1.5 billion bond portfolio restructuring is expected to enhance the net interest margin by 7 basis points and add $0.23 to EPS annually, further strengthening financial flexibility and profitability.
- Optimistic Growth Outlook: Management projects a 5%-6% increase in net interest income for 2026, with mid-single-digit loan growth and low single-digit deposit growth anticipated, reflecting the company's confidence and proactive market positioning.
- Shareholder Return Plan: The board approved a new 5% share buyback program, aiming to enhance EPS through the repurchase of approximately $147 million in shares, demonstrating the company's recognition of its value and commitment to shareholders.
See More
Hancock Whitney Corp (HWC) Reports Q4 Earnings Growth to $1.49
- Earnings Growth: Hancock Whitney Corp's Q4 net income reached $125.57 million, translating to an EPS of $1.49, which is an increase from last year's $122.07 million and $1.40 per share, indicating stable profitability improvement.
- Revenue Increase: The company's revenue rose 6.7% year-over-year to $389.30 million from $364.77 million last year, reflecting enhanced competitiveness in the market.
- Market Expectations Met: The reported EPS aligns with analyst expectations, demonstrating predictability in financial performance, which helps bolster investor confidence.
- Financial Health: The growth in earnings and revenue suggests a strong financial position for Hancock Whitney, potentially supporting future investments and expansions, thereby solidifying its market standing.
See More
Hancock Whitney HWC Q4 2025 Earnings Transcript
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Hancock Whitney Q4 Earnings: $1.49 EPS, $391.8M Revenue Inline
- Revenue Growth: Hancock Whitney reported Q4 revenue of $391.8 million, reflecting a 6.6% year-over-year increase, demonstrating the company's resilience in a challenging economic environment despite overall sluggish growth.
- Stable EPS: The GAAP EPS of $1.49 was in line with market expectations, indicating effective cost control and revenue management, which helps maintain shareholder confidence amid market fluctuations.
- Capital Ratio Changes: The estimated CET1 ratio of 13.66% decreased by 43 basis points from the prior quarter, highlighting challenges in capital management, while the TCE ratio increased slightly to 10.06%, suggesting improved liquidity conditions.
- Efficiency Ratio Increase: The efficiency ratio rose to 54.93% from 54.10% in the previous quarter, indicating pressure on operational efficiency, which could impact future profitability.
See More
WaFd, Inc. Reports Q1 EPS of 79 Cents, Beating Estimates by 3 Cents
- Earnings Beat: WaFd, Inc. reported Q1 earnings per share of 79 cents, exceeding the Zacks consensus estimate of 76 cents, reflecting a significant year-over-year increase of 46% and demonstrating enhanced profitability.
- Net Income Growth: The quarterly net income available to common shareholders was $60.5 million, up 38.8% from the prior year and surpassing the estimate of $57.3 million, indicating effective revenue generation and cost management.
- Surge in Non-Interest Income: Total non-interest income reached $20.3 million, a 29% year-over-year increase driven by higher other income and increased deposit fees, showcasing the effectiveness of diversified revenue streams.
- Asset Quality Challenges: While total customer deposits remained nearly flat at $21.42 billion, the ratio of non-performing assets rose to 0.75%, highlighting the pressures on asset quality in the current economic climate.
See More
