Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC) Shares Bought by MetLife Investment Management LLC

MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hancock Whitney Co. (NASDAQ:HWC - Free Report) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 99,349 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,194 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC owned 0.12% of Hancock Whitney worth $5,436,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Grove Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Hancock Whitney during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney in the 4th quarter worth $49,000. GeoWealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Hancock Whitney in the 4th quarter worth $65,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in Hancock Whitney by 9.7% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,911 shares of the company's stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hancock Whitney during the fourth quarter valued at about $138,000. 81.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Hancock Whitney from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Stephens cut their target price on Hancock Whitney from $73.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $70.00 price target (up previously from $68.00) on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Hancock Whitney from $68.00 to $62.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Raymond James reiterated a "strong-buy" rating and set a $62.00 price objective (down from $72.00) on shares of Hancock Whitney in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $60.56.

Hancock Whitney Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:HWC traded down $0.29 on Friday, reaching $52.01. 553,497 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 582,052. Hancock Whitney Co. has a fifty-two week low of $43.60 and a fifty-two week high of $62.40. The business's 50-day moving average is $51.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.85 and a beta of 0.99.

Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.10. Hancock Whitney had a net margin of 22.40% and a return on equity of 11.56%. The firm had revenue of $367.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $368.12 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Hancock Whitney Co. will post 5.53 EPS for the current year.

Hancock Whitney Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 5th will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 5th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.46%. Hancock Whitney's dividend payout ratio is currently 33.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hancock Whitney news, Director Christine L. Pickering sold 838 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.09, for a total transaction of $40,299.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 23,019 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,106,983.71. The trade was a 3.51 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.91% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hancock Whitney 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.