Hancock Whitney Finally Makes Sense, If Only Barely, To Bank On (Rating Upgrade)

Hancock Whitney is upgraded to a soft 'buy' due to robust asset quality and ongoing revenue and profit growth. HWC's asset quality outperforms peers, with return on assets at 1.41% and return on equity at 11.28%, both above key thresholds. Relative valuation is attractive, with a P/E of 10.9 below peer group, though absolute valuation remains slightly above the preferred level.