Hancock Whitney Investment Services, Inc. (“HWIS” or “we”) is a corporation organized on October 12, 1995,
under the laws of the State of Mississippi. HWIS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hancock Whitney Corporation, a
publicly traded corporation, headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi. Hancock Whitney Bank (“Hancock Whitney
Bank”) is also a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hancock Whitney Corporation. HWIS and Hancock Whitney Bank are
affiliates.
HWIS is registered as an investment adviser with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
HWIS is also a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and each state in which it conducts business, and is a member
of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The principal investment advisory services we offer are in connection with certain “wrap fee” programs that are
offered by broker-dealers, banks, and investment advisers (”Program Sponsors”) through wrap fee or advisory
program accounts. This ADV Part 2A Brochure addresses these investment advisory services. As of December
31st, 2023, HWIS’s total assets under management were approximately $218,797,292, all of which are on a
discretionary basis.
Below is a description of the investment advisory services we offer in the Managed Account Program, including,
but not limited to, our fee schedules, a description of how fees are charged, whether fees are negotiable, when
compensation is payable, refund policies and other applicable information. For more detail on any product or
service, please call our compliance office at (504-299-5168).
In the event of any discrepancy or conflict between the information contained in this brochure and the agreement
between the Program Sponsor and the Participant, the agreement shall control.
A Hancock Whitney Investment Services Managed Account Programs
HWIS offers separately managed account programs (“SMA Programs”) and Fund Strategy Portfolios managed
account programs (“FSP Programs”) through investment advisers, broker-dealers, and other financial service
firms (“Program Sponsors”). HWIS’s SMA Programs and FSP Programs are collectively referred to as the
“Managed Account Programs.” We refer to the clients of Program Sponsors as “Participants.”
Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) are investment accounts that are structured so that the Participant
maintains direct ownership of the portfolio's investments, but the account is managed by an investment adviser
in accordance with a set investment strategy (model). In an SMA program, each investor's account is managed
in exactly the same way (based on the SMA model portfolio/strategy) but each investor's account is held
separately. An FSP account is a separately managed account consisting of a portfolio of asset-allocated
investments comprising some combination of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and individual
securities. FSP Programs incorporate various approaches to portfolio construction and asset allocation. Some
employ a long-term, strategic asset allocation approach, while others take a dynamic or tactical approach and
actively shift allocations in order to take advantage of short-term market movements.
HWIS provides its investment advice through the provision of model target portfolios for each of the SMA and FSP
products to Envestnet Asset Management, Inc., the “Platform Manager,” who manages and directs the trades and
handles the reporting. The Platform Manager interprets the model position and routes the trade instructions to
the Participants’ custodians. HWIS has sole discretion for determining the appropriateness, diversification or
suitability of securities selected for purchase or sale in the Managed Account Programs models. In addition,
HWIS monitors and updates the SMA Program and FSP Program models on an ongoing basis and transmits these
updates to the Program Manager as necessary.
HWIS does not act as a “sponsor” or a “manager,” as those terms are defined in Investment Company Act Rule
3a-4 with respect to the services it provides to Managed Account Programs. Depending on the Managed Account
Program services provided by the Program
Sponsor to the Participants typically include manager selection,
custodial services, periodic monitoring of investment managers, performance reporting and trade execution
(often without a transaction-specific commission or charge), and investment advisory services, provided by one
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or more investment managers such as HWIS, all generally for a bundled (or “wrap”) fee paid to the Program
Sponsor.
Generally, Program Sponsors are primarily responsible for contact with Participants. Program Sponsors are also
responsible for reviewing their Participants’ financial circumstances and investment objectives, and determining
the suitability of HWIS’s strategy and the Managed Account Program for their Participants, as well as any
investment restrictions applicable to a Participant’s account, based on information provided by the Participant.
The Participant may select HWIS from among the investment advisers that the Program Sponsor presents to the
Participant.
The Program Sponsors or the Platform Manager will provide Participants the services described in the Program
Sponsor’s or Platform Sponsor’s agreement with such Participants, including selection of the investment
strategies based on information provided by the Participant. HWIS does not provide customized investment
advice or recommendations to HWIS Managed Account Participants. No model portfolio is customized or in any
way tailored by HWIS to reflect the personal financial circumstances or investment objectives of any Participant.
HWIS does not have brokerage discretion in the Managed Account Programs and has no authority to place orders
for the execution of transactions.
Details of each Managed Account Program are set forth in the Program Sponsor’s documents relating to the
particular Managed Account Program. Depending upon the level of the wrap fee charged by a Program Sponsor,
the amount of portfolio activity in a Participant’s account, the value of the custodial and other services that are
provided under a wrap fee program and other factors, a Participant should consider that the cost for a Managed
Account Program may be more or less than if a Participant were to purchase the investment advisory services
and the investment products separately. The Program Sponsor may charge higher commissions, or may provide
less advantageous execution of transactions, than if HWIS selected the broker or dealer to execute the
transactions or negotiated the commissions. Participants are encouraged to consult their own financial advisors
and legal and tax professionals on an initial and continuous basis in connection with selecting and engaging the
services of an investment manager for a particular strategy and participating in a Managed Account Program.
In the course of providing services to Managed Account Programs, HWIS generally relies on information or
directions communicated by the Program Sponsor or Platform Sponsor acting with apparent authority on behalf
of its client. HWIS reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject for any reason any assets referred to the
Managed Account Program. Not all of HWIS’s strategies are available through Managed Account Programs, and
not all Program Sponsors offer all of HWIS’s strategies available through Managed Account Programs. Further,
the manner in which HWIS executes a strategy through a Managed Account Program may differ from how a similar
strategy is executed by the Hancock Whitney Bank Trust and Asset Management team (“HWAM”).
Depending on the strategy, the HWIS model invests in a variety of securities and other investments, and employs
different investment techniques. Similar portfolios are managed by HWAM. There may be differences between
the recommendations provided by HWIS and recommendations or decisions made by HWAM for its client
accounts resulting from, among other things, differences in cash availability, availability of securities, investment
restrictions, account sizes, and other factors. Likewise, the performance of the HWAM client accounts and that
of Participants pursuing a similar investment strategy will differ for these and other reasons.