Hancock Whitney reports Q1 EPS ex-items $1.52, consensus $1.50

“The first quarter of 2026 was a solid start to the year,” said John M. Hairston, President & CEO. “Our diluted earnings per share, adjusted for the supplemental disclosure item, was $1.52, up from $1.49 in prior quarter. Profitability remains strong, with adjusted ROA of 1.43%, an efficiency ratio of 55.43%, and solid fee income and well-controlled expenses. With a focus on sustainable long-term organic balance sheet growth, we continue to invest in revenue-generating activities, including hiring 27 net new bankers in the first quarter. NIM grew 7 basis points to 3.55%, largely due to the completion of our bond portfolio restructuring and lower costs of funds, which more than offset the impact of lower loan yields in this rate environment. We started 2026 by proactively returning capital to shareholders through repurchasing 1.4 million shares of our common stock and the 11% increase in our common stock dividend to $0.50 per share. With a solid capital stack, we believe we are well-positioned for continued organic growth and proactive capital management in the remainder of 2026.”