Hancock Whitney Hits 52-Week High: Should You Buy the Stock Now?

Shares of Hancock Whitney Corp. HWC touched a new 52-week high of $67.10 per share in yesterday’s trading session to finally close at $66.05. Over the last six months, the HWC stock has gained 23.2%, outperforming the industry and the S&P 500 Index’s 11.7% and 16.3% growth, respectively.If we compare the company’s price performance with its close peers like Bank OZK OZK and F.N.B. Corp FNB, it appears that the HWC stock has outperformed OZK but underperformed FNB. Over the past six months, shares of FNB and OZK have rallied 27.7% and 7.7%, respectively.6-Month Price Performance Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Does the HWC stock have more upside left despite hitting a 52-week high? Let us try to decipher that.Factors Supporting Hancock Whitney’s GrowthRevenue Strength: The company’s total revenues (TE) have witnessed a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% over the last five years (2019-2024), with the uptrend continuing in the first nine months of 2025. Over the same time period, total loans saw a CAGR of 1.9%.Last year, HWC announced a multi-year organic growth plan, which included hiring additional revenue-generating associates and expanding its footprint in Florida and Texas by opening new financial center locations.In May 2025, the company acquired Sabal Trust, which is expected to support fee income growth. Thus, relatively higher interest rates, decent loan demand, a strategic shift toward full relationship loans, and investments in growth and new markets are expected to keep driving its top-line growth.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 revenues is pegged at $1.51 billion, which indicates year-over-year growth of 4.7%. The consensus estimate for 2026 revenues of $1.59 billion indicates growth of 4.9%.Revenue Growth Expectation Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Expanding Net Interest Margin (NIM): While the Federal Reserve has started cutting interest rates (already reduced rates by 75 basis points in 2025), rates still remain relatively higher than the near-zero rates witnessed earlier. Thus, given the relatively higher rates and stabilizing deposit costs, Hancock Whitney’s NIM is likely to expand.In 2024, the metric rose to 3.37% from 3.34% in 2023 and 3.26% in 2022. Even in the first nine months of 2025, the metric expanded on a year-over-year basis. This year, NIM is expected to get further support from the company’s bond restructuring, asset repricing and balance sheet deleveraging strategy.Solid Balance Sheet: Hancock Whitney has a strong balance sheet. As of Sept. 30, 2025, it had total debt of $2.10 billion (most of which consisted of short-term borrowings). Cash and due from banks and interest-bearing bank deposits were $1.43 billion as of the same date.The company has investment-grade ratings of BBB and Baa3 and a stable outlook from Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service, respectively. Thus, given a decent liquidity position, the company will likely be able to meet its debt obligations in the near term, even if the economic situation worsens.Robust Capital Position: The company’s common equity tier 1 ratio and total capital ratio are well above regulatory requirements, indicating a strong capital position.In January 2025, HWC announced a 12.5% hike in its quarterly dividend to 45 cents per share. Before this, it had hiked its quarterly dividend 33.3% in 2024.The company also has a share repurchase plan in place. In December 2025, the company's board of directors approved a buyback plan to repurchase up to 5% of its shares, effective Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2026. The plan will replace the existing stock buyback program, under which the 4.3 million shares available for purchase were fully exhausted in the fourth quarter of 2025.Given its earnings strength, the company will likely be able to sustain efficient capital distributions, enhancing shareholder value.Analyst Sentiments for HWCOver the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HWC’s 2025 earnings of $5.70 per share has been unchanged. Its 2026 earnings estimate of $5.96 has been revised marginally upward. The estimated figures indicate year-over-year growth rates of 7.1% and 4.6% for 2025 and 2026, respectively.Earnings Estimate Revision Trend Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Should You Invest in Hancock Whitney Stock Now?HWC’s bond restructuring strategy, along with relatively higher interest rates and stabilizing funding costs, is expected to keep supporting its net interest income and NIM growth. Moreover, expansion efforts and a solid loan balance are likely to drive the top line. Supported by a solid liquidity position, the company is expected to keep enhancing shareholder value through efficient capital distributions.Moreover, in terms of its valuation, the HWC stock is currently trading at a trailing 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11.71X, below the industry average of 12.55. This shows that HWC is currently undervalued than its peers.P/E TTM Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Thus, it seems that investors can consider buying Hancock Whitney stock now, given its higher upside potential amid the likelihood of further rate cuts and growth strategies.Currently, Hancock Whitney carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5. Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report F.N.B. Corporation (FNB): Free Stock Analysis Report Hancock Whitney Corporation (HWC): Free Stock Analysis Report Bank OZK (OZK): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks