Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC Lowers Position in Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC)

Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC) by 30.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,475 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,625 shares during the quarter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Hancock Whitney were worth $509,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Hancock Whitney during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,279,000. Wasatch Advisors LP purchased a new stake in Hancock Whitney in the 1st quarter valued at about $22,744,000. State Street Corp grew its position in Hancock Whitney by 15.0% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,567,941 shares of the company’s stock valued at $238,218,000 after acquiring an additional 596,516 shares in the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC grew its position in Hancock Whitney by 183.1% in the 2nd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 442,487 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,616,000 after acquiring an additional 286,206 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Hancock Whitney by 13.1% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,295,121 shares of the company’s stock worth $119,690,000 after buying an additional 266,428 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.22% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Hancock Whitney from $51.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. Citigroup began coverage on Hancock Whitney in a research report on Friday, December 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $45.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James upped their target price on Hancock Whitney from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Truist Financial downgraded Hancock Whitney from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $54.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Hancock Whitney from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Hancock Whitney presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.88.

Insider Activity at Hancock Whitney

In other Hancock Whitney news, insider Christopher S. Ziluca sold 3,636 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.50, for a total transaction of $158,166.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 35,285 shares in the company, valued at $1,534,897.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, COO D Shane Loper sold 17,690 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.81, for a total value of $828,068.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 71,148 shares in the company, valued at $3,330,437.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Christopher S. Ziluca sold 3,636 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.50, for a total value of $158,166.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 35,285 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,534,897.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 35,225 shares of company stock worth $1,634,014. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hancock Whitney Stock Up 3.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:HWC traded up $1.36 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $44.83. The company had a trading volume of 124,362 shares, compared to its average volume of 491,762. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $43.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $41.71. The stock has a market cap of $3.88 billion, a PE ratio of 9.66 and a beta of 1.32. Hancock Whitney Co. has a 1-year low of $31.02 and a 1-year high of $49.65.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 16th. The company reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.07. Hancock Whitney had a return on equity of 12.54% and a net margin of 20.57%. The company had revenue of $308.41 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $355.51 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.65 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Hancock Whitney Co. will post 4.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hancock Whitney Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 5th were paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.68%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 4th. Hancock Whitney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.67%.

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.