How Does Hancock Whitney's (HWC) Rising Fee Income Shape Its Broader Growth Story?

• Hancock Whitney Corporation recently reported third quarter earnings for the period ended September 30, 2025, posting net income of US$127.47 million and diluted earnings per share of US$1.49, both above the same period last year and exceeding analyst expectations.
• In addition to higher earnings, the company recorded record fee income for investment, insurance, and annuity products, while continuing share repurchases and demonstrating disciplined expense control.
• Now, we will examine how Hancock Whitney’s strong fee income growth supports its investment narrative and future prospects.

Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value.

Hancock Whitney Investment Narrative Recap

To own Hancock Whitney stock, I think an investor should believe in the company’s ability to drive earnings through fee income growth and disciplined expense management, even as the economic outlook remains uncertain. The recent news of strong Q3 results, higher net income, robust fee income, and ongoing share buybacks, reinforces this narrative and signals that the primary catalyst, sustained noninterest income growth, remains intact. The biggest short-term risk continues to be credit quality, but Q3 net charge-offs improved and the impact from this release appears immaterial for now.

The company’s latest announcement on share buybacks is especially relevant, with 662,500 shares repurchased for US$40.05 million in Q3, bringing the total repurchased under its current program to over 1.76 million shares since December 2024. This return of capital supports the near-term catalyst of higher earnings per share, while the long-term value proposition still depends on continued organic growth in fee income and effective risk management.

By contrast, investors should keep a close watch on credit quality trends as the external economic climate evolves...

Read the full narrative on Hancock Whitney (it's free!)

Hancock Whitney's outlook anticipates $1.8 billion in revenue and $525.8 million in earnings by 2028. This scenario assumes a 7.9% annual revenue growth rate and an increase in earnings of $57.6 million from the current $468.2 million.

Uncover how Hancock Whitney's forecasts yield a $70.25 fair value, a 29% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

Simply Wall St Community members see fair value for Hancock Whitney ranging from US$47.41 to US$119.69 across three perspectives. While opinions differ widely, the consistent focus on fee income growth among analysts adds important context as you compare these views and consider future performance.

Explore 3 other fair value estimates on Hancock Whitney - why the stock might be worth over 2x more than the current price!

Build Your Own Hancock Whitney Narrative

Disagree with existing narratives? Create your own in under 3 minutes - extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

• A great starting point for your Hancock Whitney research is our analysis highlighting 5 key rewards that could impact your investment decision.
• Our free Hancock Whitney research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual - the Snowflake - making it easy to evaluate Hancock Whitney's overall financial health at a glance.

Contemplating Other Strategies?

These stocks are moving-our analysis flagged them today. Act fast before the price catches up:

• The best AI stocks today may lie beyond giants like Nvidia and Microsoft. Find the next big opportunity with these 24 smaller AI-focused companies with strong growth potential through early-stage innovation in machine learning, automation, and data intelligence that could fund your retirement.
• Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 22 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit.
• These 11 companies survived and thrived after COVID and have the right ingredients to survive Trump's tariffs. Discover why before your portfolio feels the trade war pinch.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com