Analyst Estimates: Here's What Brokers Think Of Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) After Its Third-Quarter Report

Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) shareholders are probably feeling a little disappointed, since its shares fell 6.3% to US$55.27 in the week after its latest third-quarter results. Hancock Whitney reported US$388m in revenue, roughly in line with analyst forecasts, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) of US$1.49 beat expectations, being 4.7% higher than what the analysts expected. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. With this in mind, we've gathered the latest statutory forecasts to see what the analysts are expecting for next year.

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Taking into account the latest results, the most recent consensus for Hancock Whitney from eight analysts is for revenues of US$1.61b in 2026. If met, it would imply a notable 12% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to increase 4.9% to US$5.94. Yet prior to the latest earnings, the analysts had been anticipated revenues of US$1.62b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$5.96 in 2026. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

See our latest analysis for Hancock Whitney

There were no changes to revenue or earnings estimates or the price target of US$70.72, suggesting that the company has met expectations in its recent result. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. There are some variant perceptions on Hancock Whitney, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$74.00 and the most bearish at US$64.00 per share. With such a narrow range of valuations, the analysts apparently share similar views on what they think the business is worth.

Looking at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can make sense of these forecasts is to see how they measure up against both past performance and industry growth estimates. It's clear from the latest estimates that Hancock Whitney's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 9.4% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2026 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 7.5% p.a. over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 7.7% annually. Hancock Whitney is expected to grow at about the same rate as its industry, so it's not clear that we can draw any conclusions from its growth relative to competitors.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. They also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, with the company predicted to grow at about the same rate as the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.

With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on Hancock Whitney. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have estimates - from multiple Hancock Whitney analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

It might also be worth considering whether Hancock Whitney's debt load is appropriate, using our debt analysis tools on the Simply Wall St platform, here.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.