Hancock Whitney (HWC): Evaluating Valuation After New 5% Share Repurchase Authorization for 2026

Hancock Whitney (HWC) just rolled out a fresh stock buyback authorization, which clears the way to repurchase up to 5% of its outstanding shares starting January 1, 2026, after fully using its prior program.

See our latest analysis for Hancock Whitney.

The fresh authorization lands after Hancock Whitney completed its prior buyback in the fourth quarter, and the share price has responded with a 30 day share price return of 11.85% and a five year total shareholder return of 130.95%. This suggests long term momentum is still very much intact.

If this kind of capital return story has your attention, it might be a good time to explore fast growing stocks with high insider ownership as another source of potential ideas.

With the stock trading below analyst targets and management doubling down on buybacks, is Hancock Whitney quietly undervalued today, or is the market already baking in the bank’s next leg of growth?

Most Popular Narrative: 6.6% Undervalued

With Hancock Whitney last closing at $65.62 against a narrative fair value just above $70, the story hinges on steady growth and richer future multiples.

The analysts have a consensus price target of $70.25 for Hancock Whitney based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors.

In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $1.8 billion, earnings will come to $525.8 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 13.0x, assuming you use a discount rate of 6.8%.

Read the complete narrative.

Curious what justifies a richer earnings multiple for a regional bank, and which specific growth and margin assumptions power that view? The full narrative reveals the playbook.

Result: Fair Value of $70.25 (UNDERVALUED)

Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts.

However, economic uncertainty, weaker loan growth, or integration missteps at Sabal Trust could quickly challenge the case for richer future earnings multiples.

Find out about the key risks to this Hancock Whitney narrative.

Build Your Own Hancock Whitney Narrative

If you see the future differently or want to stress test your own assumptions against the numbers, build a custom view in minutes with Do it your way.

A great starting point for your Hancock Whitney research is our analysis highlighting 4 key rewards and 1 important warning sign that could impact your investment decision.

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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.

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