Hancock Whitney Corporation

and instructions will follow at that time. As a reminder, this call may be recorded. I would now like to introduce your host for today's conference, Ashley Wilshire, head of investor relations. You may begin.

Thank you and good afternoon. During today's call, we may make forward-looking statements. We would like to remind everyone to carefully review the Safe Harbor language that was published with the earnings release and presentation and in the company's most recent 10K and 10Q, including the risks and uncertainties identified therein. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statements made by Hancock Whitney speak only as of the date on which they were made. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for watching. The presentation slides included in our 8K are also posted with the conference call webcast link on the Investor Relations website. We will reference some of these slides in today's call. Participating in today's call are John Hairston, President and CEO, Mike Achary, CFO, Chris Ziluca, Chief Credit Officer, and Shane Loper, Chief Operating Officer. I will now turn the call over to John Hairston.

Thank you, Ashley, and thanks everyone for joining us today. The third quarter of 2026 was another solid quarter of profitability, efficiency, and balance sheet growth. Adjusting for expenses related to the acquisition, EPS improved 17% and PPNR grew 8%, both compared to same quarter previous year. We were also pleased to welcome new colleagues and clients to the transaction with One Florida Bank, which closed on August 1. Excluding loans acquired from One Florida, loan growth met expectations at 4% annualized and continued to be funded by growth in core deposits. As shown on slide 8 of our investor deck, loan production was strong and line utilization remained consistent with prior quarter. Growth was driven primarily by a lift in commercial real estate across multiple products and continued growth in equipment finance. Our guidance for the full year remains unchanged at low, double-digit growth. Excluding deposits acquired from One Florida, deposit growth was strong at 9% annualized. Thank you for watching. Thank you for joining us. Efficiency Ratio of 54.46% and an ROTCE of 16.4%. Top line revenue continued to cover significant offensive reinvestment and expenses continued to be well managed. Mike will add additional comments in his remarks, but I will note we have updated our guidance on page 19 to provide both fourth quarter and full year 2026 outlook. As shown on slide 18 of the investor deck, our capital ratios remain strong and reflect capital deployed for both inorganic and organic growth, return to shareholders, and the impact of the rising rate environment. We maintain confidence in our strategy to grow the balance sheet and enhance our operational efficiency. And we remain optimistic about closing out 2026 with continued growth and profitability. Lastly, before we continue the call, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the individuals, businesses, and communities across the Florida Panhandle who were impacted by the recent hurricane. Throughout the storm and afterward, our teams worked diligently to support our clients and ensure they had access to the services and resources they needed. We remain a dedicated partner as recovery efforts continue, backed by the commitment of our team and the resilience of the clients and communities we are very privileged to serve. With that, I'll invite Mike to make additional comments.