Hancock Whitney price target raised to $80 from $78 at Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler analyst Stephen Scouten raised the firm’s price target on Hancock Whitney (HWC) to $80 from $78 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares following quarterly results. The firm continues to believe that loan growth is the only missing piece of this story, and with another 27 new producers hired in Q1, it seems growth should inflect soon. The shares will likely trade in-line with the group as estimates likely move down marginally on a slightly smaller balance sheet, Piper adds.