Hancock Whitney Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 EPS of $1.49

Hancock Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ:HWC) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2025 totaled $125.6 million, or $1.49 per diluted common share (EPS), compared to $127.5 million, or $1.49 per diluted common share, in the third quarter of 2025. The company reported net income for the fourth quarter of 2024 of $122.1 million, or $1.40 per diluted common share.

Fourth Quarter 2025 Highlights

• Net income totaled $125.6 million, or $1.49 per diluted share, compared to $127.5 million, or $1.49 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2025
• Adjusted pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) totaled $174.0 million, compared to $175.6 million in the prior quarter
• Loans increased $362 million, or 6% linked quarter annualized (LQA)
• Deposits increased $620 million, or 9% LQA
• Criticized commercial loans and nonaccrual loans decreased
• ACL coverage solid at 1.43%
• NIM of 3.48%, down 1 bp from the prior quarter
• CET1 ratio estimated at 13.66%, down 43 bps linked-quarter; TCE ratio of 10.06%, up 5 bps linked-quarter; total risk-based capital ratio estimated at 15.46%, down 46 bps linked-quarter
• Efficiency ratio of 54.93%, compared to 54.10% in the prior quarter

"The fourth quarter of 2025 marked a strong finish to a remarkable year," said John M. Hairston, President & CEO. "2025 compared very well to the previous year, with adjusted EPS increasing 8%, adjusted PPNR improving by 6%, and tangible book value per share up 12%. For the fourth quarter of 2025, we enjoyed solid loan growth of 6% linked quarter annualized as production improved, while deposits grew 9% linked-quarter annualized, driven largely by seasonal public fund balances. Profitability remains strong, with ROA of 1.41%, efficiency ratio of 54.93%, continued fee income growth, with continuing investments back into revenue-generating activities. While NIM declined 1 basis point to 3.48%, we continue to seek opportunities to enhance our margin, including the recent completion of a bond portfolio restructuring announced today. During the fourth quarter, we repurchased 2,543,700 shares of our common stock, fully utilizing our existing share repurchase authority, and the board approved a new repurchase plan through the end of 2026. We closed the year with solid capital, and we believe we enter 2026 well-positioned for continued growth and enhanced shareholder value."

Loans

Total loans were $24.0 billion at December 31, 2025, up $361.9 million, or 2%, from September 30, 2025. Loan growth was driven by strong healthcare production, increased ICRE activity and continued growth in equipment finance.

Average loans totaled $23.7 billion for the fourth quarter of 2025, up $289.9 million, or 1%, linked-quarter. For 2026, we expect end of period loans to be up mid-single digits from December 31, 2025.

Deposits

Total deposits at December 31, 2025 were $29.3 billion, up $620.0 million, or 2%, from September 30, 2025.

Noninterest-bearing DDAs totaled $10.4 billion at December 31, 2025, up $69.7 million, or 1%, from September 30, 2025, and comprised 35% of total period-end deposits. The linked-quarter increase in noninterest-bearing DDAs was related to an increase in public funds DDAs of $191 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, partially offset by lower balances in other DDA accounts.

Interest-bearing transaction and savings deposits totaled $12.0 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, up $223.4 million, or 2%, linked-quarter. This increase was due to competitive products and pricing.

Compared to September 30, 2025, retail time deposits of $3.7 billion were down $90.4 million, or 2%, driven by maturity concentration and promotional rate reductions during the fourth quarter of 2025. Interest-bearing public fund deposits increased $417.4 billion, or 15%, linked-quarter, totaling $3.2 billion at December 31, 2025. The increase in interest-bearing public funds was driven by seasonal inflows.

Average deposits for the fourth quarter of 2025 were $28.8 billion, up $324.5 million, or 1%, linked-quarter. Management expects 2026 period-end deposits to be up low-single digits from December 31, 2025 levels.

Asset Quality

The total allowance for credit losses (ACL) was $341.7 million at December 31, 2025, up $0.1 million from September 30, 2025. During the fourth quarter of 2025, the company recorded a provision for credit losses of $13.1 million, compared to $12.7 million in the third quarter of 2025. There were $13.0 million of net charge-offs in the fourth quarter of 2025, or 0.22% of average total loans on an annualized basis, compared to net charge-offs of $11.4 million, or 0.19% of average total loans in the third quarter of 2025. The ratio of ACL to period-end loans was 1.43% at December 31, 2025, compared to 1.45% at September 30, 2025.

Criticized commercial loans totaled $535.4 million, or 2.88% of total commercial loans, at December 31, 2025, compared to $549.2 million, or 3.01% of total commercial loans, at September 30, 2025. Nonaccrual loans totaled $106.9 million, or 0.45% of total loans, at December 31, 2025, compared to $113.6 million, or 0.48% of total loans, at September 30, 2025. ORE and foreclosed assets were $14.8 million at December 31, 2025, compared to $11.1 million at September 30, 2025.

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin (NIM) (TE)

Net interest income (TE) for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $284.7 million, an increase of $2.4 million, or 1%, from the third quarter of 2025. The net interest margin (NIM) (TE) was 3.48% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down 1 bp linked-quarter, driven by lower loan yields (-10 bps), partially offset by higher securities yield (+2 bps) and lower cost of funds (+7 bps).

Average earning assets were $32.6 billion for the fourth quarter of 2025, up $384.7 million, or 1%, from the third quarter of 2025.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income totaled $107.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, up $1.1 million, or 1%, from the third quarter of 2025.

Service charges on deposits were up $0.4 million, or 1%, from the third quarter of 2025. Bank card and ATM fees were down $0.2 million, or 1%, from the third quarter of 2025.

Investment and annuity income and insurance fees were down $1.9 million, or 13%, linked-quarter, related to lower annuity sales in the fourth quarter of 2025. Trust fees were up $0.4 million, or 2% linked-quarter. Fees from secondary mortgage operations totaled $3.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, up $0.2 million, or 6%, linked-quarter.

Other noninterest income was $19.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, up $2.2 million, or 13%, from the third quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily due to higher SBIC income, partially offset by lower syndication fees.

Noninterest Expense & Taxes

Noninterest expense totaled $217.9 million, up $5.1 million, or 2% linked-quarter.

Personnel expense totaled $122.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, up $0.5 million, or less than 1%, linked-quarter.

Net occupancy and equipment expense totaled $18.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, up $0.4 million, or 2%, from the third quarter of 2025. Amortization of intangibles totaled $2.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, down $0.1 million, or 3%, linked-quarter.

Net expense on ORE and other foreclosed assets totaled $0.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to a net gain of $0.3 million in the third quarter of 2025.

Other expenses totaled $73.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, up $3.5 million, or 5%, linked-quarter. This increase is primarily related to higher advertising, data processing and other professional services expense.

The effective income tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2025 was 20.7%, compared to 20.5% in the third quarter.

Capital

Common stockholders' equity at December 31, 2025 totaled $4.5 billion, down $14.4 million, or less than 1%, from September 30, 2025. The tangible common equity (TCE) ratio was 10.06%, up 5 bps linked-quarter. The company's CET1 ratio is estimated to be 13.66% at December 31, 2025, down 43 bps linked-quarter. Total risk-based capital ratio is estimated to be 15.46% at December 31, 2025, down 46 bps linked-quarter.

During the fourth quarter of 2025, the company repurchased 2,543,700 shares of its common stock at an average price of $57.62 per share. This stock repurchase is pursuant to the company's share buyback program (which authorized the repurchase of up to 4,306,200 shares of the company's outstanding common stock), which expires on December 31, 2026. The existing share buyback program was fully exhausted during the fourth quarter of 2025.

The company's Board of Directors authorized a new share buyback program effective January 1, 2026 and expiring on December 31, 2026; under this new authorization, the company may, from time to time, purchase up to 4,112,966 shares of its common stock, 5% of the shares of its common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2025. For more information, please refer to the press release, dated December 10, 2025 and related Form 8-K, dated December 9, 2025 on the company's investor relations website and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 10, 2025.

Conference Call and Slide Presentation

Management will host a conference call for analysts and investors at 3:30 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 to review fourth quarter of 2025 results. A live listen-only webcast of the call will be available under the Investor Relations section of Hancock Whitney's website at investors.hancockwhitney.com. A link to the release with additional financial tables, and a link to a slide presentation related to fourth quarter results are also posted as part of the webcast link. To participate in the Q&A portion of the call, dial 800-715-9871 or 646-307-1963, access code 8545141.

An audio archive of the conference call will be available under the Investor Relations section of our website. A replay of the call will also be available through January 27, 2026 by dialing 800-770-2030 or 609-800-9909, access code 8545141.

About Hancock Whitney

Since the late 1800s, Hancock Whitney has embodied core values of Honor & Integrity, Strength & Stability, Commitment to Service, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility. Hancock Whitney offices and financial centers in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas offer comprehensive financial products and services, including traditional and online banking; commercial and small business banking; private banking; trust and investment services; healthcare banking; and mortgage services. The company also operates combined loan and deposit production offices in the greater metropolitan areas of Nashville, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia. More information is available at www.hancockwhitney.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This news release includes non-GAAP financial measures to describe Hancock Whitney's performance. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered alternatives to GAAP-basis financial statements and other bank holding companies may define or calculate these non-GAAP measures or similar measures differently. The reconciliations of those measures to GAAP measures are provided either in the financial tables or in Appendix A thereto.

Consistent with the provisions of subpart 229.1400 of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation S-K, "Disclosures by Bank and Savings and Loan Registrants," the company presents net interest income, net interest margin and efficiency ratios on a fully taxable equivalent ("TE") basis. The TE basis adjusts for the tax-favored status of net interest income from certain loans and investments using the statutory federal tax rate to increase tax-exempt interest income to a taxable equivalent basis. The company believes this measure to be the preferred industry measurement of net interest income and it enhances comparability of net interest income arising from taxable and tax-exempt sources.

The company presents certain additional non-GAAP financial measures to assist the reader with a better understanding of the company's performance period over period, as well as to provide investors with assistance in understanding the success management has experienced in executing its strategic initiatives. The company highlights certain items that are outside of our principal business and/or are not indicative of forward-looking trends in supplemental disclosures items below our GAAP financial data and presents certain "Adjusted" ratios that exclude these disclosed items. These adjusted ratios provide management or the reader with a measure that may be more indicative of forward-looking trends in our business, as well as demonstrates the effects of significant gains or losses and changes.

We define Adjusted Pre-Provision Net Revenue as net income excluding provision expense and income tax expense, plus the taxable equivalent adjustment (as defined above), less supplemental disclosure items (as defined above). Management believes that adjusted pre-provision net revenue is a useful financial measure because it enables investors and others to assess the company's ability to generate capital to cover credit losses through a credit cycle. We define Adjusted Revenue as net interest income (te) and noninterest income less supplemental disclosure items. We define Adjusted Noninterest Expense as noninterest expense less supplemental disclosure items. We define our Efficiency Ratio as noninterest expense to total net interest income (te) and noninterest income, excluding amortization of purchased intangibles and supplemental disclosure items, if applicable. Management believes adjusted revenue, adjusted noninterest expense and the efficiency ratio are useful measures as they provide a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhance comparability with prior periods.

Important Cautionary Statement about Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements that we may make include statements regarding our expectations of our performance and financial condition, balance sheet and revenue growth, the provision for credit losses, capital levels, deposits (including growth, pricing, and betas), investment portfolio, other sources of liquidity, loan growth expectations, management's predictions about charge-offs for loans, the impact of current and future economic conditions, including the effects of declines in the real estate market, tariffs or trade wars (including reduced consumer spending, lower economic growth or recession, reduced demand for U.S. exports, disruptions to supply chains, and decreased demand for other banking products and services), high unemployment, inflationary pressures, increasing insurance costs, fluctuations in interest rates, including the impact of changes in interest rates on our financial projections, models and guidance and slowdowns in economic growth, as well as the financial stress on borrowers as a result of the foregoing, general economic business conditions in our local markets, Federal Reserve action with respect to interest rates, the effects of war or other conflicts, acts of terrorism, climate change, the impact of natural or man-made disasters, the adequacy of our enterprise risk management framework, potential claims, damages, penalties, fines and reputational damage resulting from pending or future litigation, regulatory proceedings, assessments, and enforcement actions, as well as the impact of negative developments affecting the banking industry and the resulting media coverage; the potential impact of current or future business combinations on our performance and financial condition, including our ability to successfully integrate the businesses, success of revenue-generating and cost reduction initiatives, the potential impact of third-party business combinations in our footprint on our performance and financial condition, the effectiveness of derivative financial instruments and hedging activities to manage risks, projected tax rates, increased cybersecurity risks, including potential business disruptions or financial losses, and the impact of artificial intelligence on our business operations, the adequacy of our internal controls over financial and non-financial reporting, the impact of changes in U.S. laws or policies, including those related to credit card interest rates, the financial impact of regulatory requirements and tax reform legislation, deposit trends, credit quality trends, net interest margin trends, future expense levels, future profitability, improvements in expense to revenue (efficiency) ratio, purchase accounting impacts and expected returns. Also, any statement that does not describe historical or current facts is a forward-looking statement. These statements often include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "forecast," "goals," "targets," "initiatives," "focus," "potentially," "probably," "projects," "outlook," or similar expressions or future conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would," and "could." Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of management and on information currently available to management. Our statements speak as of the date hereof, and we do not assume any obligation to update these statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements in light of new information or future events.

Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking statement made in this release is subject to the safe harbor protections set forth in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on such statements. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Part I, "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in other periodic reports that we file with the SEC.

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Kathryn Shrout Mistich, VP, Investor Relations Manager

504.539.7836 or [email protected]