Shares of Hancock Whitney Corp. (HWC) tumbled 5.17% in after-hours trading on Tuesday, despite the regional bank reporting better-than-expected third-quarter earnings. The sharp decline suggests investors may be focusing on other aspects of the company's financial performance beyond the headline numbers.

Hancock Whitney reported third-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $1.49, surpassing the analysts' consensus estimate of $1.43 according to LSEG IBES data. The company's net income rose to $127.5 million, up from $115.6 million in the same quarter last year. Despite this earnings beat, the stock's after-hours plunge indicates that market participants found reasons for concern in the report.

One potential factor contributing to the stock's decline could be the company's deposit situation. Hancock Whitney reported that average deposits fell 1% to $28.5 billion, and the bank experienced a decrease of $386.9 million in deposits during the quarter. This decline in deposits may be raising concerns about the bank's liquidity and funding stability in a challenging interest rate environment. Additionally, while the bank projects low-single-digit loan growth for Q4 and the full year, investors might be questioning the sustainability of this growth amid economic uncertainties. The market's negative reaction suggests that investors are weighing these factors against the positive earnings surprise, leading to the significant after-hours sell-off.