First Horizon (FHN) and Hancock Whitney (HWC): What to Watch in Their Upcoming Q1 Earnings
Key Takeaways
- First Horizon (FHN) reports Q1 2026 earnings on April 15, with consensus EPS of $0.49 and revenue of $869 million.
- Hancock Whitney (HWC) follows on April 21, expecting EPS of $1.50 and revenue around $393 million.
- Both regional banks showed strong Q4 2025 results: FHN EPS $0.52 (beat estimates), HWC EPS $1.49 (slight beat).
- FHN assets ~$84B, loans $63B, deposits $67B; HWC smaller at $35B assets, $24B loans, $29B deposits.
- Recent NIM stable at ~3.5% for both; credit quality solid with ACL ratios 1.3-1.4%.
- Tickeron AI favors HWC for superior ROTCE and per-share profitability.
Why These Regional Bank Earnings Matter Right Now
Quarterly earnings continue to be a key focus for regional banks such as First Horizon (FHN) and Hancock Whitney (HWC). These reports shed light on net interest income (NII, which is interest revenue minus funding costs), loan growth, deposit trends, and credit provisions in the current rate environment. Both banks operate in the Southeast U.S., where they compete in areas like commercial real estate, healthcare, and small business lending. In my view, FHN's larger scale provides more diversified revenue streams, while HWC stands out for its emphasis on efficiency. The upcoming Q1 reports on April 15 and 21 will be telling for NII resilience and expense management, shaping how investors see the stability of regional banks overall.
Diving into First Horizon's Outlook
First Horizon (FHN), based in Memphis, is set to release its Q1 2026 results on April 15 before the market opens, with a conference call at 9:30 AM ET. Analysts expect EPS of $0.49, an increase from $0.42 a year ago, alongside revenue of $869 million, marking about 7% growth. One thing that stands out is NII, following Q4 2025's $676 million (up 7% year-over-year) and a net interest margin (NIM) of 3.51%. Loans increased 2% sequentially to $63.3 billion, fueled by commercial and industrial portfolios, while deposits held steady at $67.5 billion. Credit quality looks solid: no provision expense in Q4, allowance for credit losses (ACL) at 1.31% of loans, and nonperforming assets (NPA) around 1%. Return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) reached 15% in Q4, which highlights its profitability strength. I also checked this using Tickeron’s AI Screener to compare FHN against peers in the sector.
Hancock Whitney's Position Heading In
Hancock Whitney (HWC), headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, will report Q1 2026 earnings on April 21 after the close. The consensus points to EPS of $1.50 and revenue of about $393 million. In Q4 2025, EPS came in at $1.49 (meeting estimates), with net income of $126 million. Loans grew at a 6% annualized rate to $24 billion, particularly in healthcare and equipment finance, and deposits rose 9% on a linked-quarter annualized basis to $29.3 billion. NIM stayed at 3.48%, with a $13 million provision and net charge-offs (NCOs) of 0.22% annualized. ACL stood at 1.43%, NPAs at 0.45%, and criticized loans declined to 2.88%. Full-year 2025 EPS was $5.67, and the outlook calls for 2026 NII growth of 5-6%.
Comparing FHN and HWC Side by Side
FHN significantly outscales HWC, with $84 billion in assets compared to $35 billion, which supports broader revenue but comes with a larger expense base. On Q4 EPS, HWC edges ahead at $1.49 versus FHN's $0.52, thanks to stronger per-share earnings from its smaller share float. NIMs are closely matched around 3.5%, with both banks gaining from falling deposit costs. Loan-to-deposit ratios remain healthy at about 94% for FHN and 82% for HWC. Credit metrics are robust across the board: FHN NPAs at 1%, HWC at 0.45%; provisions are low. FHN's 15% ROTCE aligns with HWC's efficiency profile. Potential risks involve interest rate sensitivity and commercial real estate exposure, though both maintain CET1 ratios above 13%. From what I see, investor sentiment leans toward FHN for growth prospects and HWC for superior returns.
Spotting Opportunities with Tickeron’s AI Screener
In my research process, I rely on Tickeron’s AI Screener, an AI-powered tool for discovering stocks and ETFs. It lets me filter thousands of names based on technical patterns, fundamentals, trends, volatility, and AI signals—using criteria like industry, market cap, indicators, price patterns, and performance metrics. This approach uncovers trade ideas, trending stocks, breakouts, and opportunities far more efficiently than manual scans. I’ve found it particularly useful for evaluating regional banks like FHN and HWC, and it’s a staple in my workflow for staying ahead.
Tickeron AI's Take on the Pair
Tickeron AI gives HWC the edge (65% probability) over FHN, citing its superior ROTCE, higher EPS efficiency, and stronger 2026 NII guidance, even as FHN holds advantages in scale. I’m watching this closely as we approach the reports.
Disclaimer
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Contributor
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
FHN's Indicator enters downward trend
The Aroon Indicator for FHN entered a downward trend on October 06, 2026. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor identified a pattern where the AroonDown red line was above 70 while the AroonUp green line was below 30 for three straight days. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. A.I.dvisor looked at 96 similar instances where the Aroon Indicator formed such a pattern. In 53 of the 96 cases the stock moved lower. This puts the odds of a downward move at 55%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where FHN declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 52%.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where FHN's RSI Oscillator exited the oversold zone, 16 of 23 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are 70%.
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. 36 of 50 cases where FHN's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are 72%.
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 06, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on FHN as a result. In 51 of 82 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 62%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for FHN just turned positive on October 05, 2026. Looking at past instances where FHN's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 26 of 48 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 54%.
Following a +1.74% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where FHN advanced for three days, in 180 of 321 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 56%.
FHN may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 9 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 34 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.295) is normal, around the industry mean (1.321). P/E Ratio (11.149) is within average values for comparable stocks, (24.015). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.050) is also within normal values, averaging (1.186). Dividend Yield (0.029) settles around the average of (0.030) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (3.448) is also within normal values, averaging (3.747).
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 55 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating well-balanced risk and returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 57, placing this stock slightly better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 57 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. FHN’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 69 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
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