10-K/A

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

FORM 10-K/A

Amendment No. 1

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011.

OR

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Commission file number 0-13089

Hancock Holding Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Mississippi	64-0693170
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
One Hancock Plaza, Gulfport, Mississippi	39501
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(228) 868-4727

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

(Title of Class)	(Name of Exchange on Which Registered)
COMMON STOCK, $3.33 PAR VALUE	The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

NONE

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.     Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.     Yes  ¨    No  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes   x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).     Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    Yes   x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check One):

Large accelerated filer	x	Accelerated filer	¨
Non-accelerated filer	¨	Smaller reporting company	¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by nonaffiliates of the registrant as of December 31, 2011 was $2.6 billion based upon the closing market price on NASDAQ on June 30, 2011. For purposes of this calculation only, shares held by nonaffiliates are deemed to consist of (a) shares held by all shareholders other than directors and executive officers of the registrant plus (b) shares held by directors and officers as to which beneficial ownership has been disclaimed.

On February 1, 2012, the registrant had outstanding 84,749,038 shares of common stock for financial statement purposes.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Hancock Holding Company is filing this Amendment No. 1 on form 10-K/A to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 for the sole purposes of furnishing XBRL interactive data files. The original Form 10-K was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2012.

No other changes have been made to the Form 10-K. This Form 10-K/A speaks as of the original filing data of the Form 10-K, does not reflect events that may have occurred subsequent to the filing date, and does not modify or update in any way disclosures made in the Form 10-K.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

	HANCOCK HOLDING COMPANY
	Registrant
Date February 29, 2012	By:	/s/ Carl J. Chaney
	Carl J. Chaney
	President & Chief Executive Officer
	Director
Date February 29, 2012	By:	/s/ John M. Hairston
	John M. Hairston
	Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer
	Director
Date February 29, 2012	By:	/s/ Michael M. Achary
	Michael M. Achary
	Chief Financial Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

/s/ James B. Estabrook, Jr         James B. Estabrook, Jr.	Chairman of the Board, Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Alton G. Bankston         Alton G. Bankston	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Frank E. Bertucci         Frank E. Bertucci	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Don P. Descant         Don P. Descant	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Jerry Levens         Jerry Levens	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ James H. Horne         James H. Horne	Director	February 29, 2012
(signatures continued)

/s/ John H. Pace         John H. Pace	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Christine L. Pickering         Christine L. Pickering	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Robert W. Roseberry          Robert W. Roseberry	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Anthony J. Topazi         Anthony J. Topazi	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Randy Hanna         Randy Hanna	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Thomas Olinde          Thomas Olinde	Director	February 29, 2012

/s/ Richard B. Crowell         Richard B. Crowell	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Hardy B. Fowler          Hardy B. Fowler	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Terence E. Hall         Terence E. Hall	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ R. King Milling          R. King Milling	Director	February 29, 2012
/s/ Eric J. Nickelsen          Eric J. Nickelsen	Director	February 29, 2012

31.1	Certification of Chief Executive Officers pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended.
31.2	Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended.
32.1	Certification of Chief Executive Officers Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2	Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
99.1	Chief Executive Officer Certification - IFR Section 30.15
99.2	Chief Financial Officer Certification - IFR Section 30.15
**101.INS	XBRL Instance Document
**101.SCH	XBRL Schema Document
**101.CAL	XBRL Calculation Document
**101.LAB	XBRL Label Link Document
**101.PRE	XBRL Presenation Linkbase Document
**101.DEF	XBRL Definition Linkbase Document

* Compensatory plan or arrangement.

** Furnished with the Form 10-K/A

EX-31.1

EXHIBIT 31.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Carl J. Chaney, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Hancock Holding Company;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date February 28, 2012	By:	/s/ Carl J. Chaney
		Carl J. Chaney
		President & Chief Executive Officer

CERTIFICATION

I, John M. Hairston, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Hancock Holding Company;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date February 28, 2012	By:	/s/ John M. Hairston
		John M. Hairston
		Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer

EX-31.2

EXHIBIT 31.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Michael M. Achary, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Hancock Holding Company;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date February 28, 2012	By:	/s/ Michael M. Achary
		Michael M. Achary

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Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]

Schedule of compliance with regulatory capital requirements

	Actual				Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy				To Be WellCapitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions
	Amount		Ratio %		Amount		Ratio %		Amount		Ratio %
At December 31, 2011
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Company	$	1,783,037		13.59	$	1,049,495		8.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		437,225		14.21		246,072		8.00		307,590		10.00
Whitney Bank		1,277,591		12.76		801,025		8.00		1,001,281		10.00
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Company	$	1,506,218		11.48	$	524,748		4.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		397,900		12.94		123,036		4.00		184,554		6.00
Whitney Bank		1,091,770		10.90		400,512		4.00		600,769		6.00
Tier 1 leverage capital
Company	$	1,506,218		8.17	$	553,318		3.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		397,900		8.15		146,408		3.00		244,013		5.00
Whitney Bank		1,091,770		8.19		399,725		3.00		666,208		5.00
At December 31, 2010
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Company	$	846,541		16.60	$	407,970		8.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		446,894		16.46		217,206		8.00		271,507		10.00
Hancock Bank of Louisiana		344,447		15.72		175,339		8.00		219,174		10.00
Hancock Bank of Alabama		33,543		17.39		15,432		8.00		19,290		10.00
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Company	$	782,301		15.34	$	203,985		4.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		412,632		15.20		108,603		4.00		162,904		6.00
Hancock Bank of Louisiana		316,905		14.46		87,670		4.00		131,504		6.00
Hancock Bank of Alabama		31,102		16.12		7,716		4.00		11,574		6.00
Tier 1 leverage capital
Company	$	782,301		9.65	$	243,160		3.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		412,632		8.03		154,198		3.00		256,996		5.00
Hancock Bank of Louisiana		316,905		11.33		83,878		3.00		139,797		5.00
Hancock Bank of Alabama		31,102		16.38		5,698		3.00		9,496		5.00

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Income Taxes (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Deferred tax assets:
Allowance for loan losses	$ 85,289	$ 30,356
Employee compensation and benefits	40,013	27,086
Loan purchase accounting adjustments	241,412	126,536
Demand deposits	2,308	1,218
Capital loss	0	153
Tax credit carryforward	25,465	663
Federal net operating loss	24,524	104
State net operating loss	2,958	1,274
Other	23,128	1,637
Gross deferred tax assets	445,097	189,027
Federal valuation allowance	0	(84)
State valuation allowance	(2,415)	(1,274)
Subtotal valuation allowance	(2,415)	(1,358)
Net deferred tax assets	442,682	187,669
Deferred tax liabilities:
Fixed assets & intangibles	(135,987)	(31,159)
FHLB Stock Dividend	(1,119)	(3,520)
Securities	(55,642)	(15,932)
Deferred gain on acquisition	(13,232)	(17,907)
FDIC Indemnification Asset	(83,348)	(104,785)
Other	(7,594)	(7,825)
Gross deferred tax liabilities	(296,922)	(181,128)
Net deferred tax asset (liability)	$ 145,760	$ 6,541

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Acquisitions (Details 4) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Results of operations
Total revenues, net of interest expense	$ 979	$ 983
Net income	$ 124	$ 94

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Condensed Parent Company Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Condensed Parent Company Information [Abstract]

Condensed Balance Sheets

Condensed Balance Sheets
	December 31,
	2011		2010
Assets:
Cash	$	28,015	$	787
Investment in bank subsidiaries		2,358,368		833,965
Securities available for sale		103,788		—
Investment in non-bank subsidiaries		10,222		20,798
Due from subsidiaries and other assets		9,014		1,567
	$	2,509,407	$	857,117
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Due to subsidiaries	$	158	$	569
Long term debt		140,000		—
Other liabilities		2,086		—
Stockholders' equity		2,367,163		856,548
	$	2,509,407	$	857,117

Condensed Statement of Income

Condensed Statements of Income
	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010		2009
Operating Income
From subsidiaries
Dividends received from bank subsidiaries	$	123,100		$	41,500	$	36,700
Dividends received from non-bank subsidiaries		—			—		—
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries greater than (less than) dividends received		(43,721	)		10,471		38,161
Total operating income		79,379			51,971		74,861
Other (expense) income		(2,592	)		342		(178	)
Income tax provision (benefit)		28			107		(92	)
Net income	$	76,759		$	52,206	$	74,775

Condensed Statement of Cash Flows

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Cash flows from operating activities—principally dividends received from subsidiaries	$	113,355		$	31,241		$	36,743
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities		113,355			31,241			36,743
Cash flows from investing activities—contribution of capital to subsidiary		(233	)		(454	)		(181,798	)
Purchase of available for sale securities		(103,432	)		—			—
Proceeds of securities available for sale		1,396			—			—
Cash paid in connection with business combination		(275,563	)		—			—
Net cash used by investing activities		(377,832	)		(454	)		(181,798	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long term debt		140,000			—			—
Dividends paid to stockholders		(70,617	)		(36,182	)		(32,011	)
Stock transactions, net		222,322			5,876			173,319
Net cash used by financing activities		291,705			(30,306	)		141,308
Net increase (decrease) in cash		27,228			481			(3,747	)
Cash, beginning of year		787			306			4,053
Cash, end of year	$	28,015		$	787		$	306

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Condensed Parent Company Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 273,046	$ 194,798	$ 18,142
Purchases of securities available for sale	(1,732,757)	(489,835)	(509,304)
Proceeds of securities available for sale	342,864		10,202
Cash paid in connection with business combination	74,736		(378,367)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(301,023)	334,375	253,695
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	150,317
Dividends paid	(70,617)	(35,721)	(32,011)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	326,237	(594,200)	(266,898)
(Increase) decrease in cash and due from banks	298,260	(65,027)	4,939
Cash and due from banks at beginning of year	139,687	204,714	199,775
Cash and due from banks at end of year	437,947	139,687	204,714
Hancock [Member]
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
Cash flows from operating activities-principally dividends received from subsidiaries	113,355	31,241	36,743
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	113,355	31,241	36,743
Cash flows from investing activities-principally contribution of capital to subsidiary	(233)	(454)	(181,798)
Purchases of securities available for sale	(103,432)
Proceeds of securities available for sale	1,396
Cash paid in connection with business combination	(275,563)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(377,832)	(454)	(181,798)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	140,000
Dividends paid	(70,617)	(36,182)	(32,011)
Stock transactions, net	222,322	5,876	173,319
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	291,705	(30,306)	141,308
(Increase) decrease in cash and due from banks	27,228	481	(3,747)
Cash and due from banks at beginning of year	787	306	4,053
Cash and due from banks at end of year	$ 28,015	$ 787	$ 306

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Loans (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	$ 103,270	$ 120,985
Commercial Loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	73,255	92,296
Residential mortgage Loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	25,043	21,898
Consumer loan [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	4,972	6,791
Originated loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	83,307	75,699
Originated loans [Member] | Commercial Loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	55,046	50,379
Originated loans [Member] | Residential mortgage Loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	24,406	18,699
Originated loans [Member] | Consumer loan [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	3,855	6,621
Acquired loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	1,117	0
Acquired loans [Member] | Commercial Loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	0	0
Acquired loans [Member] | Residential mortgage Loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	0	0
Acquired loans [Member] | Consumer loan [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	1,117	0
Covered loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	18,846	45,286
Covered loans [Member] | Commercial Loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	18,209	41,917
Covered loans [Member] | Residential mortgage Loans [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	637	3,199
Covered loans [Member] | Consumer loan [Member]
Composition of Non-Accrual Loans by Portfolio Segment
Non-accrual loans	$ 0	$ 170

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Acquisitions (Details 5) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 04, 2011
Loans at acquisition date
Acquired Impaired	$ 535,489
Acquired Performing	5,911,353
Total Acquired Loans	6,446,842
Commercial non-real estate [Member]
Loans at acquisition date
Acquired Impaired	128,813
Acquired Performing	2,414,002
Total Acquired Loans	2,542,815
Commercial real estate owner-occupied [Member]
Loans at acquisition date
Acquired Impaired	91,885
Acquired Performing	856,583
Total Acquired Loans	948,468
Construction and land development [Member]
Loans at acquisition date
Acquired Impaired	159,438
Acquired Performing	564,795
Total Acquired Loans	724,233
Commercial real estate non-owner occupied [Member]
Loans at acquisition date
Acquired Impaired	86,573
Acquired Performing	839,258
Total Acquired Loans	925,831
Commercial/real estate [Member]
Loans at acquisition date
Acquired Impaired	466,709
Acquired Performing	4,674,638
Total Acquired Loans	5,141,347
Residential mortgage Loans [Member]
Loans at acquisition date
Acquired Impaired	68,780
Acquired Performing	818,152
Total Acquired Loans	886,932
Consumer loan [Member]
Loans at acquisition date
Acquired Impaired	0
Acquired Performing	418,563
Total Acquired Loans	$ 418,563

XML

Loans (Details 10) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Covered loans [Member]
Changes in the carrying amount of covered acquired loans and accretable yield for loans receivable
Carrying Amount of Loans, Balance at beginning of period	$ 809,459	$ 913,063
Carrying Amount of Loans, Additions
Carrying Amount of Loans, Payments received, net	(193,432)	(155,898)
Carrying Amount of Loans, Accretion	55,416	52,294
Carrying Amount of Loans, Balance at end of period	671,443	809,459
Accretable Discount, Balance at beginning of period	107,638	159,932
Accretable Discount, Additions
Accretable Discount, Payments received, net
Accretable Discount, Accretion	(55,416)	(52,294)
Accretable Discount, Decrease in expected cash flows based on actual cash flow, loan sales and foreclosures assumptions	(18,930)
Accretable Discount, Net transfer from (to) nonaccretable difference to accretable yield	119,845
Accretable Discount, Balance at end of period	153,137	107,638
Non Covered [Member]
Changes in the carrying amount of covered acquired loans and accretable yield for loans receivable
Carrying Amount of Loans, Balance at beginning of period	0	0
Carrying Amount of Loans, Additions	535,489
Carrying Amount of Loans, Payments received, net	(206,306)
Carrying Amount of Loans, Accretion	10,269
Carrying Amount of Loans, Balance at end of period	339,452	0
Accretable Discount, Balance at beginning of period	0	0
Accretable Discount, Additions	132,136
Accretable Discount, Payments received, net
Accretable Discount, Accretion	(22,719)
Accretable Discount, Decrease in expected cash flows based on actual cash flow, loan sales and foreclosures assumptions	(26,630)
Accretable Discount, Net transfer from (to) nonaccretable difference to accretable yield	47,904
Accretable Discount, Balance at end of period	$ 130,691	$ 0

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Assets
Impaired loans	$ 55,252	$ 95,787
Other real estate owned	144,367	32,520
Total assets	199,619	128,307
Level 1 [Member]
Assets
Impaired loans	0	0
Other real estate owned	0	0
Total assets	0	0
Level 2 [Member]
Assets
Impaired loans	55,252	95,787
Other real estate owned	144,367	32,520
Total assets	$ 199,619	$ 128,307

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Earnings Per Share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Computation of earnings per common share

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Numerator:
Net income to common shareholders	$	76,759	$	52,206	$	74,775
Net income allocated to participating securities — basic and diluted		866		320		247
Net income allocated to common shareholders—basic and diluted	$	75,893	$	51,886	$	74,528
Denominator:
Weighted-average common shares—basic		65,590		36,876		32,747
Dilutive potential common shares		480		178		187
Weighted average common shares—diluted		66,070		37,054		32,934
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	1.16	$	1.41	$	2.28
Diluted	$	1.15	$	1.40	$	2.26

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Securities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Securities [Abstract]

Amortized cost and fair value of securities

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value
U.S. Treasury	$	150	$	14	$	—		164	$	10,797	$	52	$	5		10,844
U.S. government agencies		248,595		1,308		—		249,903		106,054		971		434		106,591
Municipal obligations		294,489		15,218		42		309,665		181,747		4,107		5,411		180,443
Mortgage-backed securities		2,422,891		58,150		696		2,480,345		761,704		38,032		50		799,686
CMOs		1,426,495		21,774		2,193		1,446,076		367,662		6,880		2,491		372,051
Other debt securities		4,517		11		34		4,494		14,329		999		43		15,285
Other equity securities		4,208		2,086		41		6,253		3,428		660		103		3,985
	$	4,401,345	$	98,561	$	3,006	$	4,496,900	$	1,445,721	$	51,701	$	8,537	$	1,488,885

Amortized cost and fair value of securities by contractual maturity

	Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Due in one year or less	$	292,434	$	293,803
Due after one year through five years		915,985		934,279
Due after five years through ten years		405,288		421,935
Due after ten years		2,783,430		2,840,630
Equity securities		4,208		6,253
Total available for sale securities	$	4,401,345	$	4,496,900

Available for sale securities unrealized losses

	Losses < 12 months				Losses 12 months or >				Total
	Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
U.S. Treasury	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
U.S. government agencies		—		—		—		—		—		—
Municipal obligations		18,854		42		—		—		18,854		42
Mortgage-backed securities		212,900		692		337		4		213,237		696
CMOs		296,860		2,193		—		—		296,860		2,193
Other debt securities		398		34		—		—		398		34
Equity securities		1,685		39		2		2		1,687		41
	$	530,697	$	3,000	$	339	$	6	$	531,036	$	3,006

	Losses < 12 months				Losses 12 months or >				Total
	Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
U.S Treasury	$	9,980	$	5	$	—	$	—	$	9,980	$	5
U.S. government agencies		74,566		434		—		—		74,566		434
Municipal obligations		57,713		3,092		19,870		2,319		77,583		5,411
Mortgage-backed securities		122		1		1,340		49		1,462		50
CMOs		122,312		2,491		—		—		122,312		2,491
Other debt securities		379		6		459		37		838		43
Equity securities		2,552		87		11		16		2,563		103
	$	267,624	$	6,116	$	21,680	$	2,421	$	289,304	$	8,537

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Loans (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Jun. 04, 2011
Loans (Textual) [Abstract]
Changes in New loans		$ 28,000,000
Changes in affiliates loans		33,100,000
Changes in directors and affiliates loans		29,300,000
Balances of loans due from related Parties	64,700,000	40,500,000
Non accrual and renegotiated loans percentage	1.05%	2.52%
Non-accrual loans	103,270,000	120,985,000
Troubled Debt restructuring	18,100,000
Total restructured loans		12,600,000
Investment in impaired loans	62,300,000	107,739,000
Interest that would have been recognized on nonaccrual loans	4,900,000	5,700,000	2,000,000
Interest recovered on nonaccrual loans	1,100,000	1,000,000	300,000
Minimum Bank portfolio loan need to be reviewed	500,000
Accruing loans Period	90 days
Loans held for sale	72,378,000	21,866,000
Problem commercial loans held for sale	10,800,000
Mortgage loans held for loan	61,600,000
Covered loans				535,489,000
Covered Loans [Member]
Loans (Textual) [Abstract]
Increase in allowance for losses related to impairment loans	51,700,000	700,000
Restructured Commercial Loan [Member]
Loans (Textual) [Abstract]
Non-accrual loans	4,100,000
Minimum [Member]
Loans (Textual) [Abstract]
Period within which bank Loan reviewed	12
Maximum [Member]
Loans (Textual) [Abstract]
Period within which bank Loan reviewed	18
Loans [Member]
Loans (Textual) [Abstract]
Impairment of covered loans	(671,443,000)	(809,151,000)	(950,430,000)
FDIC [Member]
Loans (Textual) [Abstract]
Increase in indemnification asset	$ 48,800,000	$ 600,000

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Segment Reporting (Details Textual) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information (Textual) [Abstract]
Other intangible assets	$ 211,075	$ 13,203
Hancock [Member]
Segment Reporting Information (Textual) [Abstract]
Other intangible assets	9,400	11,100
Whitney [Member]
Segment Reporting Information (Textual) [Abstract]
Other intangible assets	201,400	1,700
Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information (Textual) [Abstract]
Other intangible assets	300	700
Core deposit intangibles [Member]
Segment Reporting Information (Textual) [Abstract]
Other intangible assets	178,400	13,200
Other identifiable intangible assets [Member]
Segment Reporting Information (Textual) [Abstract]
Other intangible assets	$ 32,700	$ 300

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Loans (Details 5) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	$ 62,300	$ 107,739
Unpaid Principal Balance	88,585	153,638
Related Allowance	7,567	11,952
Average Recorded Investment	86,178	121,967
Interest Income Recognized	678	861
With No Related Allowance Recorded [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	29,633	69,190
Unpaid Principal Balance	49,494	108,521
Related Allowance	0	0
Average Recorded Investment	21,395	80,959
Interest Income Recognized	417	250
With Related Allowance Recorded [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	32,667	38,549
Unpaid Principal Balance	39,091	45,117
Related Allowance	7,567	11,952
Average Recorded Investment	64,783	41,008
Interest Income Recognized	261	611
Commercial Loans [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	56,420	98,752
Unpaid Principal Balance	80,195	142,388
Related Allowance	6,997	10,648
Average Recorded Investment	78,185	112,193
Interest Income Recognized	613	747
Commercial Loans [Member] | With No Related Allowance Recorded [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	28,051	64,558
Unpaid Principal Balance	46,692	102,144
Related Allowance	0	0
Average Recorded Investment	18,461	75,543
Interest Income Recognized	359	224
Commercial Loans [Member] | With Related Allowance Recorded [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	28,369	34,194
Unpaid Principal Balance	33,503	40,244
Related Allowance	6,997	10,648
Average Recorded Investment	59,724	36,650
Interest Income Recognized	254	523
Residential mortgage Loans [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	5,880	8,817
Unpaid Principal Balance	8,390	11,080
Related Allowance	570	1,304
Average Recorded Investment	7,993	9,590
Interest Income Recognized	65	114
Residential mortgage Loans [Member] | With No Related Allowance Recorded [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	1,582	4,462
Unpaid Principal Balance	2,802	6,207
Related Allowance	0	0
Average Recorded Investment	2,934	5,232
Interest Income Recognized	58	26
Residential mortgage Loans [Member] | With Related Allowance Recorded [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	4,298	4,355
Unpaid Principal Balance	5,588	4,873
Related Allowance	570	1,304
Average Recorded Investment	5,059	4,358
Interest Income Recognized	7	88
Consumer loan [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	0	170
Unpaid Principal Balance	0	170
Related Allowance	0	0
Average Recorded Investment		184
Consumer loan [Member] | With No Related Allowance Recorded [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	0	170
Unpaid Principal Balance	0	170
Related Allowance	0	0
Average Recorded Investment		184
Consumer loan [Member] | With Related Allowance Recorded [Member]
Impaired loans disaggregated by class
Recorded Investment	0	0
Unpaid Principal Balance	0	0
Related Allowance	$ 0	$ 0

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Borrowings (Details Textual) (FHLB borrowings [Member], USD $) In Billions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011
FHLB borrowings [Member]
Borrowings (Textual) [Abstract]
Approved line of credit	$ 2.7
Borrowing capacity	$ 2.5

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Acquisitions (Details 7) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 04, 2011	Dec. 18, 2009 As Recorded by Peoples First Community Bank [Member] Peoples First Community Bank [Member]	Dec. 18, 2009 Fair Value Adjustments [Member] Peoples First Community Bank [Member]	Dec. 18, 2009 As Recorded by Hancock [Member] Peoples First Community Bank [Member]
Assets:
Cash			$ 98,068	$ 302,208	$ 400,276
Securities			16,149	0	16,149
Loans			1,461,541	(511,111)	950,430
Property and equipment			8	0	8
Core deposit intangible		224,000	0	11,610	11,610
FIDC loss share receivable			0	325,606	325,606
Other assets			13,000	(1,813)	11,187
Total identifiable assets			1,588,766	126,500	1,715,266
Liabilities
Deposits		9,200,000	1,552,454	10,483	1,562,937
FHLB advances			115,500	804	116,304
Other liabilities			2,402	12,891	15,293
Total liabilities		10,100,000	1,670,356	24,178	1,694,534
Net assets acquired	$ 11,200,000				$ 20,732

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Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Commitments and Contingencies (Textual) [Abstract]
Commitments to extend credit	$ 3,800	$ 729
Rental expense	11.9	7.2	4.5
Whitney Bank [Member]
Commitments and Contingencies (Textual) [Abstract]
Payment related to claims	$ 6.8

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Loans (Details 8) (Residential mortgage Loans [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	$ 1,507,498	$ 659,689
Pass [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	1,254,192	444,597
Pass-Watch [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	27,405	37,530
Special Mention [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	13,514	15,220
Substandard [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	207,069	161,251
Doubtful [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	5,318	1,091
Loss [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	0	0
Originated loans [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	487,147	366,184
Originated loans [Member] | Pass [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	460,261	284,712
Originated loans [Member] | Pass-Watch [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	7,499	7,857
Originated loans [Member] | Special Mention [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	542	0
Originated loans [Member] | Substandard [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	18,845	73,615
Originated loans [Member] | Doubtful [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	0	0
Originated loans [Member] | Loss [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	0	0
Acquired loans [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	734,669
Acquired loans [Member] | Pass [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	673,751
Acquired loans [Member] | Pass-Watch [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	1,773
Acquired loans [Member] | Special Mention [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	9,686
Acquired loans [Member] | Substandard [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	48,581
Acquired loans [Member] | Doubtful [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	878
Acquired loans [Member] | Loss [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	0
Covered loans [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	285,682	293,505
Covered loans [Member] | Pass [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	120,180	159,885
Covered loans [Member] | Pass-Watch [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	18,133	29,673
Covered loans [Member] | Special Mention [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	3,286	15,220
Covered loans [Member] | Substandard [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	139,643	87,636
Covered loans [Member] | Doubtful [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	4,440	1,091
Covered loans [Member] | Loss [Member]
Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile by internally assigned grade	$ 0	$ 0

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Deposits (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Maturities for time deposits
2012	$ 2,395,425
2013	327,779
2014	85,203
2015	154,998
2016	65,220
Thereafter	47,622
Total time deposits	3,076,247
Interest-bearing deposits with no stated maturity	7,120,996
Total interest-bearing deposits	$ 10,197,243	$ 5,648,473

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Property and Equipment (Details Textual) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Property and Equipment (Textual) [Abstract]
Depreciation and amortization	$ 24,605	$ 13,526	$ 15,549

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Deposits (Details Textual) (USD $) In Billions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Deposits (Textual) [Abstract]
Time deposits of $100,000 or more	$ 1.6	$ 1.3

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Loans (Details 9) (Consumer loan [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	$ 1,607,370	$ 1,149,710
Performing [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	1,602,398	1,142,919
Nonperforming [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	4,972	6,791
Originated loans [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	1,074,611	1,008,395
Originated loans [Member] | Performing [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	1,070,756	1,001,774
Originated loans [Member] | Nonperforming [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	3,855	6,621
Acquired loans [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	386,540
Acquired loans [Member] | Performing [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	385,423
Acquired loans [Member] | Nonperforming [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	1,117
Covered loans [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	146,219	141,315
Covered loans [Member] | Performing [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	146,219	141,145
Covered loans [Member] | Nonperforming [Member]
Consumer Credit Exposure
Credit risk profile based on payment activity	$ 0	$ 170

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Loans (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011 contracts	Dec. 31, 2010 contracts
Troubled Debt Restructurings:
Number of Contracts	27	9
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	$ 21,246	$ 13,585
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	18,145	12,641
Commercial Loans [Member]
Troubled Debt Restructurings:
Number of Contracts	24	7
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	20,040	12,408
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	16,954	11,603
Residential mortgage Loans [Member]
Troubled Debt Restructurings:
Number of Contracts	3	2
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	1,206	1,177
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	$ 1,191	$ 1,038

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Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Income Taxes [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Note 17. Income Taxes

Income tax expense included in net income consisted of the following components (in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Current federal	$	7,400		$	20,707		$	15,816
Current state		1,961			600			(241	)
Total current provision		9,361			21,307			15,575
Deferred federal		9,735			(10,676	)		6,753
Deferred state		(1,032	)		(926	)		591
Total deferred provision		8,703			(11,602	)		7,344
Total tax expense	$	18,064		$	9,705		$	22,919

Temporary differences arise between the tax bases of assets or liabilities and their carrying amounts for financial reporting purposes. The expected tax effects when these differences are resolved are recorded currently as deferred tax assets or liabilities. Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2011			2010
Deferred tax assets:
Allowance for loan losses	$	85,289		$	30,356
Employee compensation and benefits		40,013			27,086
Loan purchase accounting adjustments		241,412			126,536
Demand deposits		2,308			1,218
Capital loss		—			153
Tax credit carryforward		25,465			663
Federal net operating loss		24,524			104
State net operating loss		2,958			1,274
Other		23,128			1,637
Gross deferred tax assets		445,097			189,027
Federal valuation allowance		—			(84	)
State valuation allowance		(2,415	)		(1,274	)
Subtotal valuation allowance		(2,415	)		(1,358	)
Net deferred tax assets		442,682			187,669
Deferred tax liabilities:
Fixed assets & intangibles		(135,987	)		(31,159	)
FHLB Stock Dividend		(1,119	)		(3,520	)
Securities		(55,642	)		(15,932	)
Deferred gain on acquisition		(13,232	)		(17,907	)
FDIC Indemnification Asset		(83,348	)		(104,785	)
Other		(7,594	)		(7,825	)
Gross deferred tax liabilities		(296,922	)		(181,128	)
Net deferred tax asset (liability)	$	145,760		$	6,541

Reported income tax expense differed from amounts computed by applying the statutory income tax rate of 35% to earnings before income taxes because of the following factors (in thousands):

		$33,188			$33,188			$33,188			$33,188			$33,188			$33,188
	Years Ended December 31,
	2011						2010						2009
	Amount			%			Amount			%			Amount			%
Taxes computed at statutory rate	$	33,188			35	%	$	21,669			35	%	$	34,195			35	%
Increases (decreases) in taxes resulting from:
State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit		689			1	%		(410	)		-1	%		706			1	%
Tax-exempt interest		(6,892	)		-8	%		(6,747	)		-11	%		(6,703	)		-7	%
Bank owned life insurance		(3,352	)		-4	%		(1,918	)		-3	%		(2,097	)		-2	%
Tax credits		(8,384	)		-9	%		(3,702	)		-6	%		(3,923	)		-4	%
Merger transaction costs		2,178			3	%		—			0	%		—			0	%
Other, net		637			1	%		813			1	%		741			1	%
Income tax expense	$	18,064			19	%	$	9,705			15	%	$	22,919			24	%

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had approximately $68 million in federal net operating loss carryforwards that originated primarily in the 2009 and 2010 tax year. The Company also had approximately $25 million in federal tax credit carryforwards that originated in the tax years from 2008 through 2010. The federal net operating loss carry forwards will begin expiring in 2029, and the federal tax credit carryforwards will begin to expire in 2028. The Company also had approximately $72 million in state net operating loss carryforwards that originated in the tax years 2002 through 2011. A state valuation allowance has been established for approximately $57 million of the state net operating loss carryforwards. The state net operating losses will begin expiring in 2017.

The tax benefit of a position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return should be recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on its technical merits. The liability for unrecognized tax benefits was immaterial at December 31, 2011 and 2010. The Company does not expect the liability for unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly during 2012. Hancock recognizes interest and penalties, if any, accrued related to income tax matters in income tax expense, and the amounts recognized during 2011, 2010 and 2009 were insignificant.

The Company and its subsidiaries file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return, as well as filing various returns in the states where its banking offices are located. The returns for years before 2008 are no longer subject to examination by taxing authorities.

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Acquisitions (Details) (USD $) Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 04, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011 Fair value of net assets acquired at date of acquisition [Member] Whitney Holding Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Subsequent acquisition-date adjustments [Member] Whitney Holding Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Business Acquisition Acquiree [Member] Whitney Holding Corporation [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents			$ 957,000,000	$ 0	$ 957,000,000
Loans held for sale			57,000,000	0	57,000,000
Securities			2,635,000,000	1,000,000	2,636,000,000
Loans and leases			6,456,000,000	(9,000,000)	6,447,000,000
Property and equipment			284,000,000	(21,000,000)	263,000,000
Other intangible assets		224,000,000	266,000,000	(42,000,000)	224,000,000
Other assets			580,000,000	(7,000,000)	573,000,000
Total identifiable assets			11,235,000,000	(78,000,000)	11,157,000,000
LIABILITIES
Deposits		9,200,000,000	9,182,000,000	0	9,182,000,000
Borrowings			776,000,000	0	776,000,000
Other liabilities			175,000,000	(3,000,000)	172,000,000
Total liabilities		10,100,000,000	10,133,000,000	(3,000,000)	10,130,000,000
Net identifiable assets acquired			1,102,000,000	(75,000,000)	1,027,000,000
Goodwill	513,917,000		514,000,000	75,000,000	589,000,000
Net assets acquired	11,200,000,000		1,616,000,000	0	1,616,000,000
CONSIDERATION:
Hancock Holding Company common shares issued			41
Purchase price per share of the Company's common stock			$ 32.04
Company common stock issued and cash exchanged for fractional shares			1,307,000,000
Stock options converted			1,000,000
Cash paid for TARP preferred stock and warrants			308,000,000
Fair value of total consideration transferred		$ 1,600,000,000	$ 1,616,000,000

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Abstract]

Schedule of financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis

	As of December 31, 2011
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets
Available for sale securities:
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities	$	250,067	$	—	$	250,067
Debt securities issued by states of the United States and political subdivisions of the states		—		309,665		309,665
Corporate debt securities		4,494		—		4,494
Residential mortgage-backed securities		—		2,480,345		2,480,345
Collateralized mortgage obligations		—		1,446,076		1,446,076
Equity securities		6,253		—		6,253
Derivative financial instruments—assets		—		14,952		14,952
Total assets	$	260,814	$	4,251,038	$	4,511,852
Liabilities
Derivative financial instruments—liabilities		—		15,643		15,643
Total Liabilities	$	—	$	15,643	$	15,643

	As of December 31, 2010
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets
Available for sale securities:
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities	$	117,435	$	—	$	117,435
Debt securities issued by states of the United States and political subdivisions of the states		—		180,443		180,443
Corporate debt securities		15,285		—		15,285
Residential mortgage-backed securities		—		799,686		799,686
Collateralized mortgage obligations		—		372,051		372,051
Equity securities		3,985		—		3,985
Short-term investments		274,974		—		274,974
Derivative financial instruments—assets		—		2,952		2,952
Total assets	$	411,679	$	1,355,132	$	1,766,811
Liabilities
Derivative financial instruments—liabilities	$	—	$	2,952	$	2,952
Total Liabilities	$	—	$	2,952	$	2,952

Schedule of financial assets measured at fair value on nonrecurring basis

	As of December 31, 2011
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets
Impaired loans	$	—	$	55,252	$	55,252
Other real estate owned		—		144,367		144,367
Total assets	$	—	$	199,619	$	199,619

	As of December 31, 2010
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets
Impaired loans	$	—	$	95,787	$	95,787
Other real estate owned		—		32,520		32,520
Total assets	$	—	$	128,307	$	128,307

Schedule of estimated fair values of financial instruments

	December 31,
	2011				2010
	Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair
	Amount		Value		Amount		Value
Financial assets:
Cash, interest-bearing deposits, federal funds sold, and short-term investments	$	1,622,366	$	1,622,366	$	778,851	$	778,851
Securities available for sale		4,496,900		4,496,900		1,488,885		1,488,885
Loans, net		11,052,144		11,189,662		4,875,167		5,085,925
Loans held for sale		72,378		72,378		21,866		21,866
Accrued interest receivable		53,973		53,973		30,157		30,157
Derivative financial instruments		14,952		14,952		2,952		2,952
Financial liabilities:
Deposits	$	15,713,579	$	15,737,667	$	6,775,719	$	6,787,931
Federal funds purchased		16,819		16,819		—		—
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		1,027,635		1,027,635		364,676		364,676
FHLB borrowings		—		—		10,172		10,172
Long-term debt		353,890		365,421		376		376
Accrued interest payable		8,284		8,284		4,007		4,007
Derivative financial instruments		15,643		15,643		2,952		2,952

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Loans (Details 7) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 04, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Loans [Member] Pass [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Loans [Member] Pass [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Loans [Member] Pass-Watch [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Loans [Member] Pass-Watch [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Loans [Member] Special Mention [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Loans [Member] Special Mention [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Loans [Member] Substandard [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Loans [Member] Substandard [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Loans [Member] Doubtful [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Loans [Member] Doubtful [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Loans [Member] Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Loans [Member] Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass-Watch [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass-Watch [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Special Mention [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Special Mention [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Substandard [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Substandard [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Doubtful [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Doubtful [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Originated loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Acquired loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Acquired loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Acquired loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass-Watch [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Acquired loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Special Mention [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Acquired loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Substandard [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Acquired loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Doubtful [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Acquired loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass-Watch [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Pass-Watch [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Special Mention [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Special Mention [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Substandard [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Substandard [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Doubtful [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Doubtful [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Covered loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member] Loss [Member]
Commercial Credit Exposure
Total	$ 535,489	$ 8,062,158	$ 3,147,765	$ 7,010,406	$ 2,378,561	$ 150,041	$ 174,128	$ 170,375	$ 47,247	$ 653,628	$ 519,213	$ 77,596	$ 28,616	$ 112	$ 0	$ 3,325,972	$ 2,773,434	$ 3,110,746	$ 2,332,952	$ 76,393	$ 138,839	$ 35,155	$ 26,216	$ 103,254	$ 265,180	$ 424	$ 10,247	$ 0	$ 0	$ 4,496,644	$ 3,882,817	$ 60,042	$ 125,852	$ 426,003	$ 1,930	$ 0	$ 239,542	$ 374,331	$ 16,843	$ 45,609	$ 13,606	$ 35,289	$ 9,368	$ 21,031	$ 124,371	$ 254,033	$ 75,242	$ 18,369	$ 112	$ 0

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Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans (Details 5) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011
Hancock Plan [Member]
Assumed health care cost trend rates
Aggregated service and interest cost, 1% decrease in rates	$ 654
Aggregated service and interest cost, assumed rates	748
Aggregated service and interest cost, 1% increase in rates	866
Postretirement benefit obligation, 1% decrease in rates	14,655
Postretirement benefit obligation, assumed rates	16,653
Postretirement benefit obligation, 1% increase in rates	19,114
Whitney Plan [Member]
Assumed health care cost trend rates
Aggregated service and interest cost, 1% decrease in rates	431
Aggregated service and interest cost, assumed rates	480
Aggregated service and interest cost, 1% increase in rates	538
Postretirement benefit obligation, 1% decrease in rates	15,620
Postretirement benefit obligation, assumed rates	17,454
Postretirement benefit obligation, 1% increase in rates	$ 19,631

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Deposits (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Deposits [Abstract]

Maturities for time deposits

2012	$	2,395,425
2013		327,779
2014		85,203
2015		154,998
2016		65,220
Thereafter		47,622
Total time deposits		3,076,247
Interest-bearing deposits with no stated maturity		7,120,996
Total interest-bearing deposits	$	10,197,243

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Acquisitions (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2009
Reconciliation of goodwill and other indefinite lived intangibles
Goodwill balance at December 31, 2010	$ 61,631	$ 62,277
Goodwill from Whitney acquisition at acquisition date	513,917
Purchase accounting fair value adjustments subsequent to acquisition date made during the fourth quarter of 2011	75,614
Goodwill balance at December 31, 2011	$ 651,162	$ 62,277

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Securities (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Securities (Textual) [Abstract]
Held-to-maturity Securities	$ 0	$ 0
Trading securities	0	0
Proceeds and pay downs of available for sale securities	342,900,000	300,000	11,700,000
Securities pledged to secure public deposits and securities sold under agreements to repurchase	$ 3,000,000,000	$ 1,300,000,000

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Income Taxes (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Components of income tax expense
Current federal	$ 7,400	$ 20,707	$ 15,816
Current state	1,961	600	(241)
Total current provision	9,361	21,307	15,575
Deferred federal	9,735	(10,676)	6,753
Deferred state	(1,032)	(926)	591
Total deferred provision	8,703	(11,602)	7,344
Total tax expense, Amount	$ 18,064	$ 9,705	$ 22,919

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Derivatives (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Derivative designated as hedging instrument [Member]
Fair values of derivative instruments on balance sheet
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments, Fair Value, Gross Assets	$ 0	$ 0
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments, Fair Value, Gross Liability	107	0
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument [Member]
Fair values of derivative instruments on balance sheet
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments, Fair Value, Gross Assets	14,952	2,952
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments, Fair Value, Gross Liability	15,536	2,952
Interest rate products [Member] | Other assets [Member] | Derivative designated as hedging instrument [Member]
Fair values of derivative instruments on balance sheet
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments, Fair Value, Gross Assets	0	0
Interest rate products [Member] | Other assets [Member] | Derivative not designated as hedging instrument [Member]
Fair values of derivative instruments on balance sheet
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments, Fair Value, Gross Assets	14,952	2,952
Interest rate products [Member] | Other liabilities [Member] | Derivative designated as hedging instrument [Member]
Fair values of derivative instruments on balance sheet
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments, Fair Value, Gross Liability	107	0
Interest rate products [Member] | Other liabilities [Member] | Derivative not designated as hedging instrument [Member]
Fair values of derivative instruments on balance sheet
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments, Fair Value, Gross Liability	$ 15,536	$ 2,952

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Segment Reporting (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information

Year Ended December 31, 2011
	Hancock			Whitney			Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
Interest income	$	195,230		$	380,072		$	17,892		$	(990	)	$	592,204
Interest expense		(39,056	)		(29,538	)		(2,905	)		528			(70,971	)
Net interest income		156,174			350,534			14,987			(462	)		521,233
Provision for loan losses		(17,216	)		(17,550	)		(3,966	)		—			(38,732	)
Noninterest income		76,846			96,349			32,761			471			206,427
Depreciation and amortization		(10,649	)		(13,123	)		(834	)		—			(24,606	)
Other noninterest expense		(163,088	)		(372,034	)		(34,894	)		608			(569,408	)
Securities transactions		(51	)		—			(40	)		—			(91	)
Income before income taxes		42,016			44,176			8,014			617			94,823
Income tax expense (benefit)		6,513			7,584			3,967			—			18,064
Net income (loss)	$	35,503		$	36,592		$	4,047		$	617		$	76,759
Goodwill	$	23,386		$	623,294		$	4,482		$	—		$	651,162
Total assets	$	4,934,003		$	14,792,788		$	2,462,281		$	(2,414,976	)	$	19,774,096
Total interest income from affiliates	$	3,946		$	480		$	—		$	(4,426	)	$	—
Total interest income from external customers	$	191,284		$	379,592		$	17,892		$	3,436		$	592,204

	Year Ended December 31, 2010
	Hancock			Whitney			Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
Interest income	$	203,222		$	132,205		$	22,122		$	(4,991	)	$	352,558
Interest expense		(61,384	)		(21,198	)		(4,294	)		4,531			(82,345	)
Net interest income		141,838			111,007			17,828			(460	)		270,213
Provision for loan losses		(37,845	)		(22,554	)		(5,592	)		—			(65,991	)
Noninterest income		67,940			43,331			25,745			(67	)		136,949
Depreciation and amortization		(9,755	)		(3,003	)		(767	)		—			(13,525	)
Other noninterest expense		(152,956	)		(81,665	)		(31,244	)		130			(265,735	)
Income before income taxes		9,222			47,116			5,970			(397	)		61,911
Income tax expense (benefit)		(5,101	)		12,373			2,433			—			9,705
Net income (loss)	$	14,323		$	34,743		$	3,537		$	(397	)	$	52,206
Goodwill	$	23,386		$	33,763		$	4,482		$	—		$	61,631
Total assets	$	5,247,383		$	2,906,365		$	1,093,565		$	(1,108,986	)	$	8,138,327
Total interest income from affiliates	$	5,017		$	—		$	—		$	(5,017	)	$	—
Total interest income from external customers	$	198,205		$	132,205		$	22,122		$	26		$	352,558

	Year Ended December 31, 2009
	Hancock			Whitney			Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
Interest income	$	167,114		$	138,767		$	23,931		$	(6,085	)	$	323,727
Interest expense		(66,210	)		(29,772	)		(4,942	)		5,624			(95,300	)
Net interest income		100,904			108,995			18,989			(461	)		228,427
Provision for loan losses		(29,513	)		(18,398	)		(6,679	)		—			(54,590	)
Noninterest income		90,109			42,321			25,177			(280	)		157,327
Depreciation and amortization		(11,485	)		(3,467	)		(597	)		—			(15,549	)
Other noninterest expense		(106,860	)		(81,850	)		(29,310	)		99			(217,921	)
Income before income taxes		43,155			47,601			7,580			(642	)		97,694
Income tax expense (benefit)		9,149			12,866			904			—			22,919
Net income (loss)	$	34,006		$	34,735		$	6,676		$	(642	)	$	74,775
Goodwill	$	23,386		$	33,763		$	5,128		$	—		$	62,277
Total assets	$	5,789,737		$	2,890,341		$	1,114,826		$	(1,097,821	)	$	8,697,083
Total interest income from affiliates	$	6,085		$	—		$	—		$	(6,085	)	$	—
Total interest income from external customers	$	161,029		$	138,767		$	23,931		$	—		$	323,727

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Hancock Holding Company "the Company" or "Hancock" is a financial holding company headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi and operating in the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas. The Company operates through two wholly-owned bank subsidiaries, Hancock Bank, Gulfport, Mississippi (Hancock Bank) and Whitney Bank, New Orleans, Louisiana (Whitney Bank). Hancock Bank and Whitney Bank are referred to collectively as the "Banks." The Banks are community oriented and focus primarily on offering commercial, consumer and mortgage loans and deposit services to individuals and small to middle market businesses in their respective market areas. The Company's operating strategy is to provide its customers with the financial sophistication and breadth of products of a regional bank, while successfully retaining the local appeal and level of service of a community bank. The Banks or their subsidiaries also offer trust services, investment services and insurance agency services. Hancock Bank subsidiaries include Hancock Investment Services, Hancock Insurance Agency, and Harrison Finance Company.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and those generally practiced within the banking industry. The following is a summary of the more significant accounting policies.

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all other entities in which the Company has a controlling interest. Significant inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The accounting principles the Company follows and the methods for applying these principles conform with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and with general practices followed by the banking industry. These accounting principles and practices require management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Value Accounting

Generally accepted accounting principles require the use of fair values in determining the carrying values of certain assets and liabilities in the financial statements, as well as for specific disclosures about certain assets and liabilities.

Accounting guidance established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to these valuation techniques used to measure fair value giving preference to quoted prices in active markets (level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs such as a reporting entity's own data (level 3). Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, observable inputs other than quoted prices, such as interest rates and yield curves, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

Acquisition Accounting

Acquisitions are accounted for under the purchase method of accounting. Purchased assets, including identifiable intangibles, and assumed liabilities are recorded at their respective acquisition date fair values. If the fair value of net assets purchased exceeds the consideration given, a "bargain purchase gain" is recognized. If the consideration given exceeds the fair value of the net assets received, goodwill is recognized. Fair values are subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of an acquisition as information relative to closing date fair values becomes available. Purchased loans acquired in a business combination are recorded at estimated fair value on their purchase date with no carryover of the related allowance for loan losses. See Acquired Loans section below for accounting policy regarding loans acquired in a business combination.

All identifiable intangible assets that are acquired in a business combination are recognized at fair value on the acquisition date. Identifiable intangible assets are recognized separately if they arise from contractual or other legal rights or if they are separable (i.e., capable of being sold, transferred, licensed, rented, or exchanged separately from the entity)

Securities

Securities are classified as trading, held to maturity or available for sale. Management determines the appropriate classification of debt securities at the time of purchase and re-evaluates this classification periodically as conditions change that could require reclassification. All securities were classified as available for sale at December 31, 2011.

Available for sale securities are stated at fair value. Unrealized holding gains and unrealized holding losses, other than those determined to be other than temporary, are reported net of tax in other comprehensive income and in accumulated other comprehensive income, until realized. Premiums and discounts on securities are amortized and accreted to interest income as an adjustment to the securities' yields using the interest method.

Realized gains and losses on securities, including declines in value judged to be other than temporary, are included in net securities gains and losses as a component of noninterest income. Gains and losses on the sales of securities available for sale are determined using the specific-identification method.

Loans

Originated loans

Loans originated for investment are reported at the principal balance outstanding net of unearned income. Interest on loans and accretion of unearned income, including deferred loan fees, are computed in a manner that approximates a level yield on recorded principal. Interest on loans is recognized in income as earned.

The accrual of interest on loans is discontinued when, in management's opinion, it is probable that the borrower will be unable to meet payment obligations as they become due, as well as when required by regulatory provisions. When accrual of interest is discontinued on a loan, all unpaid accrued interest is reversed and payments subsequently received are applied first to recover principal. Interest income is recognized for payments received after contractual principal has been satisfied. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest contractually due are brought current and future payment performance is reasonably assured.

It is the policy of the Company to promptly charge off commercial and mortgage loans, or portions of loans, when available information reasonably confirms that they are wholly or partially uncollectible. Prior to recognizing a loss, asset value is established based on an assessment of the value of the collateral securing the loan, the borrower's and the guarantor's ability and willingness to pay and the status of the account in bankruptcy court, if applicable. Consumer loans are generally charged down to the fair value of the collateral, if any, less estimated selling costs when the loan is 90 days past due, unless the loan is clearly both well secured and in the process of collection. Loans are charged off against the allowance for loan losses with subsequent recoveries added back to the allowance.

.Acquired loans

Management has defined the loans purchased in the June 2011 Whitney acquisition as acquired loans. Acquired loans are recorded at estimated fair value on their purchase date with no carryover of the related allowance for loan losses. Acquired loans were segregated between those considered to be credit impaired and those deemed performing. To make this determination, management considered such factors as past due status, nonaccrual status and credit risk ratings. The fair value of acquired performing loans was determined by discounting expected cash flows, both principal and interest, for each pool at prevailing market interest rates. The difference between the fair value and principal balances due at acquisition date, the fair value discount, is accreted into income over the estimated life of each loan pool.

Credit impaired acquired loans showed evidence of credit deterioration that makes it probable that all contractually required principal and interest payments will not be collected. Acquired loans were further segregated into pools using common risk characteristics such as loan type, geography and risk rating. Their fair value was initially based on an estimate of cash flows for each pool, both principal and interest, expected to be collected, discounted at prevailing market rates of interest. Management estimated cash flows using key assumptions such as default rates, loss severity rates assuming default, prepayment speeds and estimated collateral values. Each pool is accounted for as a single asset with a single composite interest rate and an aggregate expectation of cash flows. The excess of cash flows expected to be collected from a loan pool over its estimated fair value at acquisition is referred to as the accretable yield and is recognized in interest income using an effective yield method over the remaining life of the loan pool. Subsequent to acquisition, management must update these estimates of cash flows expected to be collected at each reporting date. These updates require the continued use of key assumptions and estimates, similar to those used in the initial estimate of fair value.

Acquired impaired loans with an accretable yield are not classified as nonperforming even though collection of contractual payments may be in doubt because income is accreted on the related loan pool, which is the unit of accounting.

Covered loans and the related loss share receivable

The loans purchased in the 2009 acquisition of Peoples First Community Bank (Peoples First) are covered by two loss share agreements between the FDIC and the Company which afford the Company significant loss protection. These covered loans are accounted for as acquired impaired loans as described above in the section on acquired loans. The loss share indemnification asset is measured separately from the related covered loans as it is not contractually embedded in the loans and is not transferrable should the loans be sold. The fair value of the indemnification asset at acquisition was estimated by discounting projected cash flows related to the loss share agreements based on the expected reimbursements for losses using the applicable loss share percentages, including appropriate consideration of possible true-up payments to the FDIC at the expiration of the loss share agreements. The discounted amount is accreted into non-interest income over the remaining life of the loan pool or the life of the shared loss agreement.

The indemnification asset is reviewed and updated prospectively as loss estimates related to the covered loans change. Decreases in the expected cash flows on covered loans are recorded as an adjustment to the allowance for loan losses with a corresponding increase to the indemnification asset, and the difference is recorded as a provision for loan losses in the consolidated statement of income. Increases in expected cash flows of these loans first reverse any previously recorded increase in the indemnification asset on the loan pool with the remainder reflected as an adjustment to the indemnification asset's accretion rate.

Loans Held for Sale

Loans held for sale are stated at the lower of cost or market on the consolidated balance sheets. These loans are originated on a best-efforts basis, whereby a commitment by a third party to purchase the loan has been received concurrent with the Banks' commitment to the borrower to originate the loan. At times, management may decide to sell loans that were not originated for that purpose. These loans are reclassified as held for sale when that decision is made and are also carried at the lower of cost or market.

Troubled Debt Restructurings

Troubled debt restructurings (TDRs) occur when a borrower is experiencing, or is expected to experience, financial difficulties in the near-term and a modification in loan terms is granted that would otherwise not have been considered.

Troubled debt restructurings can involve loans remaining on nonaccrual, moving to nonaccrual, or continuing to accrue, depending on the individual facts and circumstances of the borrower. All loans whose terms have been modified in a TDR, including both commercial and retail loans, are considered "impaired." When measuring impairment on a TDR, the present value of expected cash flows is calculated using the effective interest rate of the original loan, i.e., before the restructuring, as the discount rate or at the loan's observable market price or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. If the measurement is less than the recorded investment in the loan, the difference is charged-off through the allowance for loan and lease losses. A loan is not considered impaired due to a delay in payment if all amounts due, including interest accrued at the contractual interest rate for the period of delay, is expected to be collected. Modified acquired impaired loans are not removed from their accounting pool and accounted for as a TDR even if those loans would otherwise be deemed TDRs

Allowance for Loan Losses

Originated loans

The allowance for loan and lease losses "ALLL" is a valuation account available to absorb losses on loans. The ALLL is established and maintained at an amount sufficient to cover the estimated inherent credit losses associated with the loan and lease portfolios of the Company as of the date of the determination. Credit losses arise not only from credit risk, but also from other risks inherent in the lending process including, but not limited to, collateral risk, operational risk, concentration risk, and economic risk. As such, all related risks of lending are considered when assessing the adequacy of the allowance for loan and lease losses. Quarterly, management estimates the inherent losses in the existing loan portfolio based on the Company's past loan loss and delinquency experience, known and inherent risks in the portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrowers' ability to repay, the estimated value of any underlying collateral and current economic conditions.

The analysis and methodology include three primary elements. These elements include a pool analysis of various retail loans based upon loss history, a pool analysis of commercial and commercial real estate loans based upon loss history by loan type, and a specific reserve analysis for those loans considered impaired. All losses are charged to the allowance for loan and lease losses when the loss actually occurs or when a determination is made that a loss is likely to occur; recoveries are credited to the allowance for loan losses.

The Company considers a loan to be impaired when, based upon current information and events, it believes it is probable all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement will not be collected. Impaired loans include troubled debt restructurings, and performing and non-performing loans. In order to ensure consideration of all possible impairments, management considers all loans that are risk rated substandard or doubtful as impaired. When a loan is determined to be impaired, the amount of impairment is recognized by creating a specific allowance for any shortfall between the loans value and its recorded investment. The loan's value is measured by either the loan's observable market price, the fair value of the collateral of the loan (less liquidation costs) if it is collateral dependent, or by the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan's effective interest rate. Any loans individually analyzed for impairment are not incorporated into the pool analysis to avoid double counting. Beginning in 2011, the Company changed the scope of the specific reserve analysis to include all impaired commercial, commercial real estate and mortgage loans with balances of $500,000 or greater.

Pool analysis is applied for all retail loans. The retail loans are subdivided into three groups, which currently include: mortgage real estate, indirect loans and direct consumer loans. The Company applies pool analysis for commercial and commercial real estate loans by applying a historical loss ratio to all commercial loans, commercial real estate loans and leases grouped by product type for both retail and commercial loans. A historical loss rate is calculated for each group over the twelve prior quarters to determine the three year average loss rate. As circumstances dictate, management will make adjustments to the loss history to reflect significant changes in our loss history. Adjustments will also be made to historical loss rates to cover risks associated with trends in delinquencies, non-accruals, current economic conditions and credit administration/underwriting practices and policies.

.Acquired loans

Purchased loans acquired in a business combination are recorded at their estimated fair value on their purchase date and with no carryover of the related allowance for loan losses. Performing acquired loans are subsequently evaluated for any required allowance at each reporting date. An allowance for loan losses is calculated using a methodology similar to that described above for originated loans. The allowance as determined for each loan pool is compared to the remaining fair value discount for that pool. If greater, the excess is recognized as an addition to the allowance through a provision for loan losses. If less than the discount, no additional allowance is recorded. Charge-offs and losses first reduce any remaining fair value discount for the loan pool and once the discount is depleted, losses are applied against the allowance established for that pool.

For impaired acquired loans and covered loans, cash flows expected to be collected are recast at each reporting date for each loan pool. These evaluations require the continued use and updating of key assumptions and estimates such as default rates, loss severity given default and prepayment speed assumptions, similar to those used for the initial fair value estimate. Management judgment must be applied in developing these assumptions. If expected cash flows for a pool decreases, an increase in the allowance for loan losses is made through a charge to the provision for loan losses. If expected cash flows for a pool increase, any previously established allowance for loan losses is reversed and any remaining difference increases the accretable yield which will be taken into income over the remaining life of the loan pool.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is charged to expense over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which are up to 39 years for buildings and three to seven years for furniture and equipment. Amortization expense for software is charged over three years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the terms of the respective leases or the estimated useful lives of the improvements, whichever is shorter. In cases where the Company has the right to renew the lease for additional periods, the lease term for the purpose of calculating amortization of the capitalized cost of the leasehold improvements is extended when the Company is "reasonably assured" that it will renew the lease.

Depreciation and amortization expenses are computed using a straight-line basis for assets acquired after January 1, 2006 and the double declining balance basis for assets acquired prior to January 1, 2006. Gains and losses related to retirement or disposition of fixed assets are recorded in other income under noninterest income on the consolidated statements of income. The Company continually evaluates whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate that such long-lived assets have been impaired. Measurement of any impairment of such long-lived assets is based on those assets' fair values. There were no impairment losses on property and equipment recorded during 2011, 2010, or 2009.

Other Real Estate

Other real estate owned includes real property that has been acquired in satisfaction of loans and property no longer used in the Banks' business. Generally these assets are recorded at the lower of either cost or estimated fair value less the estimated cost of disposition. Any initial reduction in the carrying amount of a loan to the fair value of the collateral received is charged to the allowance for loan losses. Subsequent losses on the periodic revaluation of the property are charged to current earnings, as are revenues from and costs of operating and maintaining the properties and gains or losses recognized on their disposition. Improvements made to properties are capitalized if the expenditures are expected to be recovered upon the sale of the properties.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill, which represents the excess of cost over the fair value of the net assets of an acquired business, is not amortized but tested for impairment on an annual basis, or more often if events or circumstances indicate there may be impairment. Impairment is defined as the amount by which the implied fair value of the goodwill contained in any reporting unit within a company is less than the goodwill's carrying value. Impairment losses would be charged to operating expense. Management reviews goodwill for impairment based on the Company's primary reporting segments, the banks. If the reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying value, an estimate of the implied fair value of the goodwill is compared to the unit's carrying value. The Company uses a present value technique to estimate fair value when testing for impairment. The cash flow estimates incorporate assumptions that market participants would use in their estimates of fair value. The cash flow analysis requires assumptions about the economic environment, expected net interest margins, growth rates, and the rate at which cash flows are discounted.

Other identifiable intangible assets with finite lives, such as core deposit intangibles and trade name, are initially recorded at fair value and are generally amortized over the periods benefited and are evaluated for impairment similar to long-lived assets.

Bank-Owned Life Insurance

Bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) is long-term life insurance on the lives of certain current and past employees where the insurance policy benefits and ownership are retained by the employer. Its cash surrender value is an asset that the Company uses to partially offset the future cost of employee benefits. The cash value accumulation on BOLI is permanently tax deferred if the policy is held to the insured person's death and certain other conditions are met.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Accounting guidance provides the disclosure requirements for derivatives and hedging activities with the intent to provide users of financial statements with an enhanced understanding of: (a) how and why an entity uses derivative instruments, (b) how the entity accounts for derivative instruments and related hedged items, and (c) how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Further, qualitative disclosures are required that explain the Company's objectives and strategies for using derivatives, as well as quantitative disclosures about the fair value of and gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative instruments.

The Company records all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative, whether the Company has elected to designate a derivative in a hedging relationship and apply hedge accounting and whether the hedging relationship has satisfied the criteria necessary to apply hedge accounting. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability, or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. Hedge accounting generally provides for the matching of the timing of gain or loss recognition on the hedging instrument with the recognition of the changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that are attributable to the hedged risk in a fair value hedge or the earnings effect of the hedged forecasted transactions in a cash flow hedge. The Company may enter into derivative contracts that are intended to economically hedge certain of its risks, even though hedge accounting does not apply or the Company elects not to apply hedge accounting.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for deferred income taxes using the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are based on temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of the Company's assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be realized or settled.

Retirement Benefits

Management makes a variety of assumptions in applying principles that govern the accounting for benefits under the Company's defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans. These assumptions are essential to the actuarial valuation that determines the amounts recognized and certain disclosures it makes in the consolidated financial statements related to the operation of these plans. Two of the more significant assumptions concern the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the rate needed to discount projected benefits to their present value. Changes in these assumptions impact the cost of retirement benefits recognized in net income and comprehensive income. Certain assumptions are closely tied to current conditions and are generally revised at each measurement date. For example, the discount rate is reset annually with reference to market yields on high quality fixed-income investments. Other assumptions, such as the rate of return on assets, are determined, in part, with reference to historical and expected conditions over time and are not as susceptible to frequent revision. Holding other factors constant, the cost of retirement benefits will move opposite to changes in either the discount rate or the rate of return on assets. The compensation cost of an employee's pension benefit is recognized on the projected unit credit method over the employee's approximate service period. The aggregate cost method is utilized for funding purposes. The Company also sponsors two defined benefit postretirement plans, which provide medical benefits and life insurance benefits. The Company has accounted for these plans using the actuarial computations required by guidance regarding employers' accounting for postretirement benefits other than pensions. The cost of the defined benefit postretirement plan has been recognized on the projected unit credit method over the employee's approximate service period.

Stock-Based Payment Arrangements

The grant date fair value of equity instruments awarded to employees and directors establishes the cost of the services received in exchange, and the cost associated with awards that are expected to vest is recognized over the requisite service period.

Revenue Recognition

The largest source of revenue for the Company is interest revenue. Interest revenue is recognized on an accrual basis driven by written contracts, such as loan agreements or securities contracts. Credit-related fees, including letter of credit fees, are recognized in non-interest income when earned. The Company recognizes commission revenue and brokerage, exchange and clearance fees on a trade-date basis. Other types of non-interest revenue such as service charges on deposits and trust revenues, are accrued and recognized into income as services are provided and the amount of fees earned are reasonably determinable.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing income applicable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the applicable period. Shares outstanding are adjusted for restricted shares issued to employees under the long-term incentive compensation plan and for certain shares that will be issued under the directors' compensation plan. Diluted earnings per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding increased by the number of shares in which employees would vest under performance-based restricted stock and stock unit awards based on expected performance factors and by the number of additional shares that would have been issued if potentially dilutive stock options were exercised, each as determined using the treasury stock method.

The Company adopted the FASB's authoritative guidance regarding the determination of whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating securities. This guidance provides that unvested share-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid or unpaid) are participating securities and should be included in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. This guidance was effective January 1, 2010, and was applied retrospectively.

Statements of Cash Flows

The Company considers only cash on hand, cash items in process of collection and balances due from financial institutions as cash and cash equivalents for purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Reportable Segment Disclosures

As defined by authoritative guidance, segment disclosures require reporting information about a company's operating segments using a "management approach." Reportable segments are identified as those revenue-producing components for which separate financial information is produced internally and which are subject to evaluation by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources to segments. The Company defines reportable segments as the banks.

Other

Assets held by the banks in a fiduciary capacity are not assets of the banks and are not included in the consolidated balance sheets.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In December 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance to address the differences between international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) regarding the offsetting of assets and liabilities. Instead of proposing new criteria for netting assets and liabilities the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) jointly issued common disclosure requirements related to offsetting arrangements, irrespective of whether they are offset on the statement of financial position, which require disclosure of both net and gross information for these assets and liabilities. An entity is required to apply the amendments for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. This guidance impacts only the disclosures in financial statements and will not impact the company's financial condition or results of operations.

In September 2011, the FASB issued guidance to simplify how entities test goodwill for impairment. The final standard allows an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether is it "more likely than not" that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test as described in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other. The more-likely-than-not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50%. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted, including for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed as of a date before September 15, 2011, if an entity's financial statements for the most recent annual or interim period have not yet been issued. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations.

In June 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance regarding the presentation of comprehensive income, and subsequently amended this guidance in December 2011, prior to its effective date. The updated guidance eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes to stockholders' equity, and, requires an entity to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This amendment does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item in other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively. The adoption of this guidance will change presentation only and will not have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations. The FASB is currently re-deliberating whether to present on the face of the financial statements the effects of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the components of net income and other comprehensive income.

In May 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance to achieve common fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS. Certain provisions clarify the Board's intent about the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, while others change a particular principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The guidance is to be applied prospectively and is effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations.

In April 2011, FASB issued updated guidance for receivables regarding a creditor's determination of whether a restructuring is a troubled debt restructuring (TDR). The final standard does not change the long-standing guidance that a restructuring of a debt constitutes a TDR "if the creditor for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor's financial difficulties grants a concession to the debtor that it would not otherwise consider". The update clarifies which loan modifications constitute troubled debt restructurings and is intended to assist creditors in determining whether a modification of the terms of a receivable meets the criteria to be considered a troubled debt restructuring, both for purposes of recording an impairment loss and for disclosure of troubled debt restructurings. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning on June 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively to restructurings occurring on or after the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations.

In April 2011, FASB issued an update to improve the accounting for repurchase agreements ("repos") and other agreements that both entitle and obligate a transferor to repurchase or redeem financial assets before their maturity. The guidance modifies the criteria for assessing if a transferor has maintained effective control over the transferred asset in determining when these transactions would be accounted for as financings (secured borrowings/lending agreements) as opposed to sales (purchases) with commitments to repurchase (resell). Specifically, the updated guidance removes the criterion requiring a transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets on substantially the same terms, even in the event of default by the transferee, as well as the collateral maintenance guidance related to that criterion. The guidance is effective prospectively for new transfers and existing transactions that are modified in the first interim or annual period beginning on or after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations.

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Earnings Per Share (Details Textual)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Earnings Per Share (Textual) [Abstract]
Weighted-average anti-dilutive potential common shares	680,611	0	0

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Derivatives (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Effect of derivative instruments on income statement
Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)	$ (107)
Amount of Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion)
Location of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative	(315)
Interest rate products [Member]
Effect of derivative instruments on income statement
Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)	(107)
Interest rate products [Member] | Derivative not designated as hedging instrument [Member]
Effect of derivative instruments on income statement
Location of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative	(315)
Interest income Other non-interest income [Member]
Effect of derivative instruments on income statement
Amount of Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Other non-interest income [Member]
Effect of derivative instruments on income statement
Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion)

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Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

Summary of obligations

	December 31,
	2011		2010
Commitments to extend credit	$	4,189,421	$	912,206
Letters of credit		441,048		87,038

Future minimum lease payments for all non-cancelable capital and operating leases

	Captial Leases		Operating Leases
2012	$	60	$	12,944
2013		65		11,840
2014		9		11,230
2015		7		10,031
2016		1		9,145
Thereafter		14		62,462
Total minimum lease payments	$	156	$	117,652
Amounts representing interest		40
Present value of net minimum lease payments	$	116

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all other entities in which the Company has a controlling interest. Significant inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The accounting principles the Company follows and the methods for applying these principles conform with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and with general practices followed by the banking industry. These accounting principles and practices require management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Value Accounting

Fair Value Accounting

Generally accepted accounting principles require the use of fair values in determining the carrying values of certain assets and liabilities in the financial statements, as well as for specific disclosures about certain assets and liabilities.

Accounting guidance established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to these valuation techniques used to measure fair value giving preference to quoted prices in active markets (level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs such as a reporting entity's own data (level 3). Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, observable inputs other than quoted prices, such as interest rates and yield curves, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

Acquisition Accounting

Acquisition Accounting

Acquisitions are accounted for under the purchase method of accounting. Purchased assets, including identifiable intangibles, and assumed liabilities are recorded at their respective acquisition date fair values. If the fair value of net assets purchased exceeds the consideration given, a "bargain purchase gain" is recognized. If the consideration given exceeds the fair value of the net assets received, goodwill is recognized. Fair values are subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of an acquisition as information relative to closing date fair values becomes available. Purchased loans acquired in a business combination are recorded at estimated fair value on their purchase date with no carryover of the related allowance for loan losses. See Acquired Loans section below for accounting policy regarding loans acquired in a business combination.

All identifiable intangible assets that are acquired in a business combination are recognized at fair value on the acquisition date. Identifiable intangible assets are recognized separately if they arise from contractual or other legal rights or if they are separable (i.e., capable of being sold, transferred, licensed, rented, or exchanged separately from the entity).

Securities

Securities

Securities are classified as trading, held to maturity or available for sale. Management determines the appropriate classification of debt securities at the time of purchase and re-evaluates this classification periodically as conditions change that could require reclassification. All securities were classified as available for sale at December 31, 2011.

Available for sale securities are stated at fair value. Unrealized holding gains and unrealized holding losses, other than those determined to be other than temporary, are reported net of tax in other comprehensive income and in accumulated other comprehensive income, until realized. Premiums and discounts on securities are amortized and accreted to interest income as an adjustment to the securities' yields using the interest method.

Realized gains and losses on securities, including declines in value judged to be other than temporary, are included in net securities gains and losses as a component of noninterest income. Gains and losses on the sales of securities available for sale are determined using the specific-identification method.

Loans

Loans

Originated loans

Loans originated for investment are reported at the principal balance outstanding net of unearned income. Interest on loans and accretion of unearned income, including deferred loan fees, are computed in a manner that approximates a level yield on recorded principal. Interest on loans is recognized in income as earned.

The accrual of interest on loans is discontinued when, in management's opinion, it is probable that the borrower will be unable to meet payment obligations as they become due, as well as when required by regulatory provisions. When accrual of interest is discontinued on a loan, all unpaid accrued interest is reversed and payments subsequently received are applied first to recover principal. Interest income is recognized for payments received after contractual principal has been satisfied. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest contractually due are brought current and future payment performance is reasonably assured.

It is the policy of the Company to promptly charge off commercial and mortgage loans, or portions of loans, when available information reasonably confirms that they are wholly or partially uncollectible. Prior to recognizing a loss, asset value is established based on an assessment of the value of the collateral securing the loan, the borrower's and the guarantor's ability and willingness to pay and the status of the account in bankruptcy court, if applicable. Consumer loans are generally charged down to the fair value of the collateral, if any, less estimated selling costs when the loan is 90 days past due, unless the loan is clearly both well secured and in the process of collection. Loans are charged off against the allowance for loan losses with subsequent recoveries added back to the allowance.

Acquired loans

Management has defined the loans purchased in the June 2011 Whitney acquisition as acquired loans. Acquired loans are recorded at estimated fair value on their purchase date with no carryover of the related allowance for loan losses. Acquired loans were segregated between those considered to be credit impaired and those deemed performing. To make this determination, management considered such factors as past due status, nonaccrual status and credit risk ratings. The fair value of acquired performing loans was determined by discounting expected cash flows, both principal and interest, for each pool at prevailing market interest rates. The difference between the fair value and principal balances due at acquisition date, the fair value discount, is accreted into income over the estimated life of each loan pool.

Credit impaired acquired loans showed evidence of credit deterioration that makes it probable that all contractually required principal and interest payments will not be collected. Acquired loans were further segregated into pools using common risk characteristics such as loan type, geography and risk rating. Their fair value was initially based on an estimate of cash flows for each pool, both principal and interest, expected to be collected, discounted at prevailing market rates of interest. Management estimated cash flows using key assumptions such as default rates, loss severity rates assuming default, prepayment speeds and estimated collateral values. Each pool is accounted for as a single asset with a single composite interest rate and an aggregate expectation of cash flows. The excess of cash flows expected to be collected from a loan pool over its estimated fair value at acquisition is referred to as the accretable yield and is recognized in interest income using an effective yield method over the remaining life of the loan pool. Subsequent to acquisition, management must update these estimates of cash flows expected to be collected at each reporting date. These updates require the continued use of key assumptions and estimates, similar to those used in the initial estimate of fair value.

Acquired impaired loans with an accretable yield are not classified as nonperforming even though collection of contractual payments may be in doubt because income is accreted on the related loan pool, which is the unit of accounting.

Covered loans and the related loss share receivable

The loans purchased in the 2009 acquisition of Peoples First Community Bank (Peoples First) are covered by two loss share agreements between the FDIC and the Company which afford the Company significant loss protection. These covered loans are accounted for as acquired impaired loans as described above in the section on acquired loans. The loss share indemnification asset is measured separately from the related covered loans as it is not contractually embedded in the loans and is not transferrable should the loans be sold. The fair value of the indemnification asset at acquisition was estimated by discounting projected cash flows related to the loss share agreements based on the expected reimbursements for losses using the applicable loss share percentages, including appropriate consideration of possible true-up payments to the FDIC at the expiration of the loss share agreements. The discounted amount is accreted into non-interest income over the remaining life of the loan pool or the life of the shared loss agreement.

The indemnification asset is reviewed and updated prospectively as loss estimates related to the covered loans change. Decreases in the expected cash flows on covered loans are recorded as an adjustment to the allowance for loan losses with a corresponding increase to the indemnification asset, and the difference is recorded as a provision for loan losses in the consolidated statement of income. Increases in expected cash flows of these loans first reverse any previously recorded increase in the indemnification asset on the loan pool with the remainder reflected as an adjustment to the indemnification asset's accretion rate.

Loans Held for Sale

Loans held for sale are stated at the lower of cost or market on the consolidated balance sheets. These loans are originated on a best-efforts basis, whereby a commitment by a third party to purchase the loan has been received concurrent with the Banks' commitment to the borrower to originate the loan. At times, management may decide to sell loans that were not originated for that purpose. These loans are reclassified as held for sale when that decision is made and are also carried at the lower of cost or market.

Troubled Debt Restructurings

Troubled debt restructurings (TDRs) occur when a borrower is experiencing, or is expected to experience, financial difficulties in the near-term and a modification in loan terms is granted that would otherwise not have been considered.

Troubled debt restructurings can involve loans remaining on nonaccrual, moving to nonaccrual, or continuing to accrue, depending on the individual facts and circumstances of the borrower. All loans whose terms have been modified in a TDR, including both commercial and retail loans, are considered "impaired." When measuring impairment on a TDR, the present value of expected cash flows is calculated using the effective interest rate of the original loan, i.e., before the restructuring, as the discount rate or at the loan's observable market price or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. If the measurement is less than the recorded investment in the loan, the difference is charged-off through the allowance for loan and lease losses. A loan is not considered impaired due to a delay in payment if all amounts due, including interest accrued at the contractual interest rate for the period of delay, is expected to be collected. Modified acquired impaired loans are not removed from their accounting pool and accounted for as a TDR even if those loans would otherwise be deemed TDRs.

Allowance for Loan Losses

Allowance for Loan Losses

Originated loans

The allowance for loan and lease losses "ALLL" is a valuation account available to absorb losses on loans. The ALLL is established and maintained at an amount sufficient to cover the estimated inherent credit losses associated with the loan and lease portfolios of the Company as of the date of the determination. Credit losses arise not only from credit risk, but also from other risks inherent in the lending process including, but not limited to, collateral risk, operational risk, concentration risk, and economic risk. As such, all related risks of lending are considered when assessing the adequacy of the allowance for loan and lease losses. Quarterly, management estimates the inherent losses in the existing loan portfolio based on the Company's past loan loss and delinquency experience, known and inherent risks in the portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrowers' ability to repay, the estimated value of any underlying collateral and current economic conditions.

The analysis and methodology include three primary elements. These elements include a pool analysis of various retail loans based upon loss history, a pool analysis of commercial and commercial real estate loans based upon loss history by loan type, and a specific reserve analysis for those loans considered impaired. All losses are charged to the allowance for loan and lease losses when the loss actually occurs or when a determination is made that a loss is likely to occur; recoveries are credited to the allowance for loan losses.

The Company considers a loan to be impaired when, based upon current information and events, it believes it is probable all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement will not be collected. Impaired loans include troubled debt restructurings, and performing and non-performing loans. In order to ensure consideration of all possible impairments, management considers all loans that are risk rated substandard or doubtful as impaired. When a loan is determined to be impaired, the amount of impairment is recognized by creating a specific allowance for any shortfall between the loans value and its recorded investment. The loan's value is measured by either the loan's observable market price, the fair value of the collateral of the loan (less liquidation costs) if it is collateral dependent, or by the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan's effective interest rate. Any loans individually analyzed for impairment are not incorporated into the pool analysis to avoid double counting. Beginning in 2011, the Company changed the scope of the specific reserve analysis to include all impaired commercial, commercial real estate and mortgage loans with balances of $500,000 or greater.

Pool analysis is applied for all retail loans. The retail loans are subdivided into three groups, which currently include: mortgage real estate, indirect loans and direct consumer loans. The Company applies pool analysis for commercial and commercial real estate loans by applying a historical loss ratio to all commercial loans, commercial real estate loans and leases grouped by product type for both retail and commercial loans. A historical loss rate is calculated for each group over the twelve prior quarters to determine the three year average loss rate. As circumstances dictate, management will make adjustments to the loss history to reflect significant changes in our loss history. Adjustments will also be made to historical loss rates to cover risks associated with trends in delinquencies, non-accruals, current economic conditions and credit administration/underwriting practices and policies.

.Acquired loans

Purchased loans acquired in a business combination are recorded at their estimated fair value on their purchase date and with no carryover of the related allowance for loan losses. Performing acquired loans are subsequently evaluated for any required allowance at each reporting date. An allowance for loan losses is calculated using a methodology similar to that described above for originated loans. The allowance as determined for each loan pool is compared to the remaining fair value discount for that pool. If greater, the excess is recognized as an addition to the allowance through a provision for loan losses. If less than the discount, no additional allowance is recorded. Charge-offs and losses first reduce any remaining fair value discount for the loan pool and once the discount is depleted, losses are applied against the allowance established for that pool.

For impaired acquired loans and covered loans, cash flows expected to be collected are recast at each reporting date for each loan pool. These evaluations require the continued use and updating of key assumptions and estimates such as default rates, loss severity given default and prepayment speed assumptions, similar to those used for the initial fair value estimate. Management judgment must be applied in developing these assumptions. If expected cash flows for a pool decreases, an increase in the allowance for loan losses is made through a charge to the provision for loan losses. If expected cash flows for a pool increase, any previously established allowance for loan losses is reversed and any remaining difference increases the accretable yield which will be taken into income over the remaining life of the loan pool.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is charged to expense over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which are up to 39 years for buildings and three to seven years for furniture and equipment. Amortization expense for software is charged over three years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the terms of the respective leases or the estimated useful lives of the improvements, whichever is shorter. In cases where the Company has the right to renew the lease for additional periods, the lease term for the purpose of calculating amortization of the capitalized cost of the leasehold improvements is extended when the Company is "reasonably assured" that it will renew the lease.

Depreciation and amortization expenses are computed using a straight-line basis for assets acquired after January 1, 2006 and the double declining balance basis for assets acquired prior to January 1, 2006. Gains and losses related to retirement or disposition of fixed assets are recorded in other income under noninterest income on the consolidated statements of income. The Company continually evaluates whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate that such long-lived assets have been impaired. Measurement of any impairment of such long-lived assets is based on those assets' fair values. There were no impairment losses on property and equipment recorded during 2011, 2010, or 2009.

Other Real Estate

Other Real Estate

Other real estate owned includes real property that has been acquired in satisfaction of loans and property no longer used in the Banks' business. Generally these assets are recorded at the lower of either cost or estimated fair value less the estimated cost of disposition. Any initial reduction in the carrying amount of a loan to the fair value of the collateral received is charged to the allowance for loan losses. Subsequent losses on the periodic revaluation of the property are charged to current earnings, as are revenues from and costs of operating and maintaining the properties and gains or losses recognized on their disposition. Improvements made to properties are capitalized if the expenditures are expected to be recovered upon the sale of the properties.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill, which represents the excess of cost over the fair value of the net assets of an acquired business, is not amortized but tested for impairment on an annual basis, or more often if events or circumstances indicate there may be impairment. Impairment is defined as the amount by which the implied fair value of the goodwill contained in any reporting unit within a company is less than the goodwill's carrying value. Impairment losses would be charged to operating expense. Management reviews goodwill for impairment based on the Company's primary reporting segments, the banks. If the reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying value, an estimate of the implied fair value of the goodwill is compared to the unit's carrying value. The Company uses a present value technique to estimate fair value when testing for impairment. The cash flow estimates incorporate assumptions that market participants would use in their estimates of fair value. The cash flow analysis requires assumptions about the economic environment, expected net interest margins, growth rates, and the rate at which cash flows are discounted.

Other identifiable intangible assets with finite lives, such as core deposit intangibles and trade name, are initially recorded at fair value and are generally amortized over the periods benefited and are evaluated for impairment similar to long-lived assets.

Bank-Owned Life Insurance

Bank-Owned Life Insurance

Bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) is long-term life insurance on the lives of certain current and past employees where the insurance policy benefits and ownership are retained by the employer. Its cash surrender value is an asset that the Company uses to partially offset the future cost of employee benefits. The cash value accumulation on BOLI is permanently tax deferred if the policy is held to the insured person's death and certain other conditions are met.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Accounting guidance provides the disclosure requirements for derivatives and hedging activities with the intent to provide users of financial statements with an enhanced understanding of: (a) how and why an entity uses derivative instruments, (b) how the entity accounts for derivative instruments and related hedged items, and (c) how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Further, qualitative disclosures are required that explain the Company's objectives and strategies for using derivatives, as well as quantitative disclosures about the fair value of and gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative instruments.

The Company records all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative, whether the Company has elected to designate a derivative in a hedging relationship and apply hedge accounting and whether the hedging relationship has satisfied the criteria necessary to apply hedge accounting. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability, or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges. Derivatives designated and qualifying as a hedge of the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. Hedge accounting generally provides for the matching of the timing of gain or loss recognition on the hedging instrument with the recognition of the changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that are attributable to the hedged risk in a fair value hedge or the earnings effect of the hedged forecasted transactions in a cash flow hedge. The Company may enter into derivative contracts that are intended to economically hedge certain of its risks, even though hedge accounting does not apply or the Company elects not to apply hedge accounting.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for deferred income taxes using the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are based on temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of the Company's assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be realized or settled.

Retirement Benefits

Retirement Benefits

Management makes a variety of assumptions in applying principles that govern the accounting for benefits under the Company's defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans. These assumptions are essential to the actuarial valuation that determines the amounts recognized and certain disclosures it makes in the consolidated financial statements related to the operation of these plans. Two of the more significant assumptions concern the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the rate needed to discount projected benefits to their present value. Changes in these assumptions impact the cost of retirement benefits recognized in net income and comprehensive income. Certain assumptions are closely tied to current conditions and are generally revised at each measurement date. For example, the discount rate is reset annually with reference to market yields on high quality fixed-income investments. Other assumptions, such as the rate of return on assets, are determined, in part, with reference to historical and expected conditions over time and are not as susceptible to frequent revision. Holding other factors constant, the cost of retirement benefits will move opposite to changes in either the discount rate or the rate of return on assets. The compensation cost of an employee's pension benefit is recognized on the projected unit credit method over the employee's approximate service period. The aggregate cost method is utilized for funding purposes. The Company also sponsors two defined benefit postretirement plans, which provide medical benefits and life insurance benefits. The Company has accounted for these plans using the actuarial computations required by guidance regarding employers' accounting for postretirement benefits other than pensions. The cost of the defined benefit postretirement plan has been recognized on the projected unit credit method over the employee's approximate service period.

Stock-Based Payment Arrangements

Stock-Based Payment Arrangements

The grant date fair value of equity instruments awarded to employees and directors establishes the cost of the services received in exchange, and the cost associated with awards that are expected to vest is recognized over the requisite service period.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The largest source of revenue for the Company is interest revenue. Interest revenue is recognized on an accrual basis driven by written contracts, such as loan agreements or securities contracts. Credit-related fees, including letter of credit fees, are recognized in non-interest income when earned. The Company recognizes commission revenue and brokerage, exchange and clearance fees on a trade-date basis. Other types of non-interest revenue such as service charges on deposits and trust revenues, are accrued and recognized into income as services are provided and the amount of fees earned are reasonably determinable.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing income applicable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the applicable period. Shares outstanding are adjusted for restricted shares issued to employees under the long-term incentive compensation plan and for certain shares that will be issued under the directors' compensation plan. Diluted earnings per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding increased by the number of shares in which employees would vest under performance-based restricted stock and stock unit awards based on expected performance factors and by the number of additional shares that would have been issued if potentially dilutive stock options were exercised, each as determined using the treasury stock method.

The Company adopted the FASB's authoritative guidance regarding the determination of whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating securities. This guidance provides that unvested share-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid or unpaid) are participating securities and should be included in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. This guidance was effective January 1, 2010, and was applied retrospectively.

Statements of Cash Flows

Statements of Cash Flows

The Company considers only cash on hand, cash items in process of collection and balances due from financial institutions as cash and cash equivalents for purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Reportable Segment Disclosures

Reportable Segment Disclosures

As defined by authoritative guidance, segment disclosures require reporting information about a company's operating segments using a "management approach." Reportable segments are identified as those revenue-producing components for which separate financial information is produced internally and which are subject to evaluation by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources to segments. The Company defines reportable segments as the banks.

Other

Other

Assets held by the banks in a fiduciary capacity are not assets of the banks and are not included in the consolidated balance sheets.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In December 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance to address the differences between international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) regarding the offsetting of assets and liabilities. Instead of proposing new criteria for netting assets and liabilities the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) jointly issued common disclosure requirements related to offsetting arrangements, irrespective of whether they are offset on the statement of financial position, which require disclosure of both net and gross information for these assets and liabilities. An entity is required to apply the amendments for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. This guidance impacts only the disclosures in financial statements and will not impact the company's financial condition or results of operations.

In September 2011, the FASB issued guidance to simplify how entities test goodwill for impairment. The final standard allows an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether is it "more likely than not" that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test as described in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other. The more-likely-than-not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50%. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted, including for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed as of a date before September 15, 2011, if an entity's financial statements for the most recent annual or interim period have not yet been issued. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations.

In June 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance regarding the presentation of comprehensive income, and subsequently amended this guidance in December 2011, prior to its effective date. The updated guidance eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes to stockholders' equity, and, requires an entity to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This amendment does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item in other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. The amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively. The adoption of this guidance will change presentation only and will not have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations. The FASB is currently re-deliberating whether to present on the face of the financial statements the effects of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the components of net income and other comprehensive income.

In May 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance to achieve common fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS. Certain provisions clarify the Board's intent about the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, while others change a particular principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The guidance is to be applied prospectively and is effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations.

In April 2011, FASB issued updated guidance for receivables regarding a creditor's determination of whether a restructuring is a troubled debt restructuring (TDR). The final standard does not change the long-standing guidance that a restructuring of a debt constitutes a TDR "if the creditor for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor's financial difficulties grants a concession to the debtor that it would not otherwise consider". The update clarifies which loan modifications constitute troubled debt restructurings and is intended to assist creditors in determining whether a modification of the terms of a receivable meets the criteria to be considered a troubled debt restructuring, both for purposes of recording an impairment loss and for disclosure of troubled debt restructurings. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning on June 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively to restructurings occurring on or after the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations.

In April 2011, FASB issued an update to improve the accounting for repurchase agreements ("repos") and other agreements that both entitle and obligate a transferor to repurchase or redeem financial assets before their maturity. The guidance modifies the criteria for assessing if a transferor has maintained effective control over the transferred asset in determining when these transactions would be accounted for as financings (secured borrowings/lending agreements) as opposed to sales (purchases) with commitments to repurchase (resell). Specifically, the updated guidance removes the criterion requiring a transferor to have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets on substantially the same terms, even in the event of default by the transferee, as well as the collateral maintenance guidance related to that criterion. The guidance is effective prospectively for new transfers and existing transactions that are modified in the first interim or annual period beginning on or after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the company's financial condition or results of operations.

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Condensed Parent Company Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Condensed Parent Company Information [Abstract]

Condensed Parent Company Information

Note 20. Condensed Parent Company Information

The following condensed financial statements reflect the accounts and transactions of Hancock Holding Company only (in thousands):

Condensed Balance Sheets
	December 31,
	2011		2010
Assets:
Cash	$	28,015	$	787
Investment in bank subsidiaries		2,358,368		833,965
Securities available for sale		103,788		—
Investment in non-bank subsidiaries		10,222		20,798
Due from subsidiaries and other assets		9,014		1,567
	$	2,509,407	$	857,117
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Due to subsidiaries	$	158	$	569
Long term debt		140,000		—
Other liabilities		2,086		—
Stockholders' equity		2,367,163		856,548
	$	2,509,407	$	857,117

Condensed Statements of Income
	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010		2009
Operating Income
From subsidiaries
Dividends received from bank subsidiaries	$	123,100		$	41,500	$	36,700
Dividends received from non-bank subsidiaries		—			—		—
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries greater than (less than) dividends received		(43,721	)		10,471		38,161
Total operating income		79,379			51,971		74,861
Other (expense) income		(2,592	)		342		(178	)
Income tax provision (benefit)		28			107		(92	)
Net income	$	76,759		$	52,206	$	74,775

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Cash flows from operating activities—principally dividends received from subsidiaries	$	113,355		$	31,241		$	36,743
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities		113,355			31,241			36,743
Cash flows from investing activities—contribution of capital to subsidiary		(233	)		(454	)		(181,798	)
Purchase of available for sale securities		(103,432	)		—			—
Proceeds of securities available for sale		1,396			—			—
Cash paid in connection with business combination		(275,563	)		—			—
Net cash used by investing activities		(377,832	)		(454	)		(181,798	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long term debt		140,000			—			—
Dividends paid to stockholders		(70,617	)		(36,182	)		(32,011	)
Stock transactions, net		222,322			5,876			173,319
Net cash used by financing activities		291,705			(30,306	)		141,308
Net increase (decrease) in cash		27,228			481			(3,747	)
Cash, beginning of year		787			306			4,053
Cash, end of year	$	28,015		$	787		$	306

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Stock-Based Payment Arrangements (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Nonvested Shares
Number of Shares, Nonvested at Beginning Balance	855,873
Number of Shares, Granted	827,656
Number of Shares, Vested	(194,452)
Number of Shares, Forfeited	(28,101)
Number of Shares, Nonvested at Ending Balance	1,460,976
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Nonvested at Beginning Balance	$ 23.76
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Granted	$ 26.06
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Vested	$ 18.41
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Forfeited	$ 27.41
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Nonvested at Ending Balance	$ 25.70

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Acquisitions (Details 6) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 04, 2011
Acquired impaired loans at acquisition date
Contractually required principal and interest payments	$ 880,612
Nonaccretable difference	212,987
Cash flows expected to be collected	667,625
Accretable difference	132,136
Fair value of loans acquired with a deterioration of credit quality	$ 535,489

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Other Noninterest Income and Other Noninterest Expense (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Other Noninterest Income and Other Noninterest Expense [Abstract]

Components of other noninterest income and other noninterest expense

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Other noninterest income:
Income from bank owned life insurance	$	9,311	$	5,219	$	5,527
Safety deposit box income		1,591		841		794
Appraisal fee income		1,088		714		854
Letter of credit fees		4,193		1,451		1,309
Other		9,395		3,800		7,563
Total other noninterest income	$	25,578	$	12,025	$	16,047
Other noninterest expense:
Ad valorem and franchise taxes		5,330		3,568		3,621
Printing and supplies		5,608		2,380		1,911
Other fees		4,677		3,649		3,802
ORE expense		6,910		4,475		1,357
Insurance expense		7,490		2,010		1,905
Travel		3,590		2,137		1,152
Entertainment and contributions		3,954		1,651		1,346
Miscellaneous losses		8,781		1,080		1,663
Tax credit investment amortization		3,515		—		—
Other expense		18,081		8,942		5,634
Total other noninterest expense	$	67,936	$	29,892	$	22,391

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Acquisitions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Net assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration transferred at fair value

Preliminary Statement of Net Assets Acquired (at fair value) and Consideration  Transferred (in millions except per share)
	Fair value of net assets acquired at date of acquisition June 4, 2011		Subsequent acquisition-date adjustments			As recorded by HHC December 31, 2011
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	957	$	—		$	957
Loans held for sale		57		—			57
Securities		2,635		1			2,636
Loans and leases		6,456		(9	)		6,447
Property and equipment		284		(21	)		263
Other intangible assets (1)		266		(42	)		224
Other assets		580		(7	)		573
Total identifiable assets		11,235		(78	)		11,157
LIABILITIES
Deposits		9,182		—			9,182
Borrowings		776		—			776
Other liabilities		175		(3	)		172
Total liabilities		10,133		(3	)		10,130
Net identifiable assets acquired		1,102		(75	)		1,027
Goodwill (2)		514		75			589
Net assets acquired	$	1,616		—		$	1,616
CONSIDERATION:
Hancock Holding Company common shares issued		41
Purchase price per share of the Company's common stock (3)		32.04
Company common stock issued and cash exchanged for fractional shares	$	1,307
Stock options converted		1
Cash paid for TARP preferred stock and warrants		308
Fair value of total consideration transferred	$	1,616

(1) Intangible assets consists of core deposit intangible of $189.4 million, trade name of $11.7 million, trust relationships of $11.1 million, and credit card relationships of $11.3 million.

The amortization life is 12—20 years for the CDI intangible asset; 15 years for credit card relationships, 12 years for trust and 2.5 years for tradename intangible asset.

They will be amortized on an accelerated basis.

(2) No goodwill is expected to be deductible for federal income tax purposes. The goodwill will be primarily allocated to the Whitney Bank segment.

(3) The value of the shares of common stock exchanged with Whitney shareholders was based upon the closing price of the Company's common stock at June 3, 2011, the last traded day prior to the date of acquisition.

Restatement of interim periods for subsequent acquisition date adjustments

	June 30, 2011 Prior		June 30, 2011 Restated		September 30, 2011 Prior		September 30, 2011 Restated
Goodwill	$	513,917	$	589,531	$	513,917	$	589,531
Intangible assets		222,621		234,343		206,424		218,146

Reconciliation of goodwill and other indefinite lived intangibles

Goodwill balance at December 31, 2010	$	61,631
Additions:
Goodwill from Whitney acquistion at acquisition date		513,917
Purchase accounting fair value adjustments subsequent to acquisition date made during the fourth quarter of 2011		75,614
Goodwill balance at December 31, 2011	$	651,162

Results of operations

	Twelve Months Ended
	December 31, 2011		December 31, 2010
(In millions)
Total revenues , net of interest expense	$	979	$	983
Net Income	$	124	$	94

Loans at acquisition date

	Acquired Impaired		Acquired Performing		Total Acquired Loans
	(In thousands)
Commercial non-real estate	$	128,813	$	2,414,002	$	2,542,815
Commercial real estate owner-occupied		91,885		856,583		948,468
Construction and land development		159,438		564,795		724,233
Commercial real estate non-owner occupied		86,573		839,258		925,831
Total commercial/real estate		466,709		4,674,638		5,141,347
Residential mortgage		68,780		818,152		886,932
Consumer		—		418,563		418,563
Total	$	535,489	$	5,911,353	$	6,446,842

Acquired impaired loans at acquisition date

Contractually required principal and interest payments	$	880,612
Nonaccretable difference		212,987
Cash flows expected to be collected		667,625
Accretable difference		132,136
Fair value of loans acquired with a deterioration of credit quality	$	535,489

Assets purchased, liabilities assumed and the adjustments to fair value

	As Recorded by Peoples First Community Bank		Fair Value Adjustments			As Recorded by Hancock
	(In thousands)
Assets
Cash	$	98,068	$	302,208	(a)	$	400,276
Securities		16,149		—			16,149
Loans		1,461,541		(511,111	) (b)		950,430
Property and equipment		8		—			8
Core deposit intangible		—		11,610	(c)		11,610
FIDC loss share receivable		—		325,606	(d)		325,606
Other assets		13,000		(1,813	) (e)		11,187
Total assets acquired	$	1,588,766	$	126,500		$	1,715,266
Liabilities
Deposits	$	1,552,454	$	10,483	(f)	$	1,562,937
FHLB advances		115,500	$	804	(g)	$	116,304
Other liabilities		2,402	$	12,891	(h)	$	15,293
Total liabilitites acquired	$	1,670,356	$	24,178		$	1,694,534
Net assets acquired "bargain purchase" gain						$	20,732

Explanation of Fair Value Adjustments

(a) Adjustment is for cash received from the FDIC for first losses.

(b) This estimated adjustment is necessary as of the acquisition date to write down People's First book value of loans to the estimated fair value as a result of future loan losses.

(c) This fair value adjustment represents the value of the core deposit base assumed in the acquisition based on a study performed by an independent valuation firm. This amount was recorded by the Company as an identifiable asset and will be amortized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the average life of the core deposit base, which is estimated to be 10 years.

(d) This adjustment is the estimated fair value of the amount that the Company will receive from the FDIC under its loss sharing agreement as a result of future loan losses.

(e) These are adjustments made to acquired assets to reflect fair value primarily for a write-down of an investment in a subsidiary and accrued interest receivable for loans that should have been placed on non-accrual prior to the acquisition.

(f) This fair value adjustment was recorded because the weighted average interest rate of People's First time deposits exceeded the cost of similar wholesale funding at the time of the acquisition. This amount will be amortized to reduce interest expense on a declining basis over the average life of the portifolio of approximately 7 months.

(g) The fair value adjustment was recorded because the interest rates of People's fixed rate borrowings exceeded the current interest rates on similar borrowings. This amount will be amortized to interest expense over terms of the borrowings.

(h) This adjustment is for the tax effect of the merger.

Whitney Holding Corporation [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Breakdown of merger expenses

	Year Ended December 31, 2011
Personnel expense	$	13,960
Equipment expense		552
Data processing expense		3,163
Net occupancy expense		330
Postage and communications		897
Professional services expense		40,902
Printing and supplies		568
Advertising		5,958
Insurance expense		3,177
Other expense		17,255
Total merger-related expenses	$	86,762

Peoples First Community Bank [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Breakdown of merger expenses

	Years Ended December 31,
	2010		2009
Personnel expense	$	27	$	1,760
Equipment expense		57		—
Data processing expense		944		6
Net occupancy expense		4		118
Postage and communications		60		1
Professional services expense		1,263		1,283
Printing and supplies		194		12
Advertising		113		408
Insurance expense		—		—
Other expense		505		94
Total merger-related expenses	$	3,167	$	3,682

XML

Long-Term Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Long-Term Debt [Abstract]

Long-term debt

	December 31, 2011		December 31, 2010
Subordinated notes payable	$	150,000	$	—
Term note payable		140,000
Subordinated debentures		—		—
Other long-term debt		63,890		376
Total long-term debt	$	353,890	$	376

XML

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Parenthetical) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Interest Paid, Capitalized	$ 12	$ 70	$ 20

XML

Derivatives (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Derivatives [Abstract]

Fair values of derivative instruments on balance sheet

Tabular Disclosure of Fair Values of Derivative Instruments
	Asset Derivatives							Liability Derivatives
	As of December 31, 2011			As of December 31, 2010				As of December 31, 2011				As of December 31, 2010
	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
Interest rate products	Other assets	$	—		Other assets	$	—		Other liabilities	$	107		Other liabilities	$	—
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments		$	—			$	—			$	107			$	—
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Interest rate products	Other assets	$	14,952		Other assets	$	2,952		Other liabilities	$	15,536		Other liabilities	$	2,952
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments		$	14,952			$	2,952			$	15,536			$	2,952

Effect of derivative instruments on income statement

Derivatives in FASB ASC 815 Cash Flow Hedging Relationships	Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivative (Effective Portion) Year Ended					Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income	Amount of Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from  Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion) Year Ended				Location of Gain  or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion)	Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion) Year Ended
	31-Dec-11			31-Dec-10			31-Dec-11		31-Dec-10			31-Dec-11		31-Dec-10
Interest Rate Products	$	(107	)	$	—	Interest income Other non- interest income	$	—	$	—	Other non-interest income	$	—	$	—
Total	$	(107	)	$	—		$	—	$	—		$	—	$	—

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Location of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative	Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Year Ended
		31-Dec-11			31-Dec-10
Interest Rate Products	Other non-interest income	$	(315	)	$	—
Total		$	(315	)	$	—

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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Aggregate amortization expense	$ 16,551	$ 2,728	$ 1,417
Core deposit intangibles [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Aggregate amortization expense	14,474	2,491	1,114
Credit card and trust relationships [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Aggregate amortization expense	1,908
Value of insurance business acquired [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Aggregate amortization expense	169	213	255
Non-compete agreements [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Aggregate amortization expense		14	28
Trade name [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Aggregate amortization expense		$ 10	$ 20

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Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]
Taxes computed at statutory rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Federal tax credit carryforwards	$ 25,465,000	$ 663,000
Federal [Member]
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]
Operating loss carryforwards, Expiration dates	begin expiring in 2029
Tax credit carryforward, Expiration dates	begin to expire in 2028
State [Member]
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]
Operating loss carryforwards, Expiration dates	begin expiring in 2017
Valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets	57,000,000
2009 and 2010 tax year [Member]
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]
Federal and state net operating loss carryforwards	68,000,000
2002 through 2011 tax years [Member] | State [Member]
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]
Federal and state net operating loss carryforwards	72,000,000
From 2008 through 2010 tax years [Member] | Federal [Member]
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]
Federal tax credit carryforwards	$ 25,000,000

XML

Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Expected future pension plan benefit payments

	Hancock		Whitney
	Qualified		Qualified		Nonqualified		Total
2012	$	4,273	$	6,993	$	888	$	12,154
2013		4,394		7,410		883		12,687
2014		4,640		8,020		1,041		13,701
2015		4,971		8,735		1,134		14,840
2016		5,342		9,432		1,138		15,912
2017-2021		33,222		57,629		5,792		96,643
	$	56,842	$	98,219	$	10,876	$	165,937

Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Expected future pension plan benefit payments

	Hancock		Whitney		Total
2012	$	832	$	1,246	$	2,078
2013		795		1,293		2,088
2014		838		1,244		2,082
2015		784		1,141		1,925
2016		813		1,056		1,869
2017-2021		4,245		4,450		8,695
	$	8,307	$	10,430	$	18,737

Hancock Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Components of defined benefit obligation

	2011			2010
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	101,746		$	89,720
Service cost		4,689			3,501
Interest cost		5,453			5,233
Actuarial loss		27,429			7,155
Benefits paid		(4,202	)		(3,863	)
Benefit obligation, end of year		135,115			101,746
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year		71,640			61,313
Actual return on plan assets		1,375			7,718
Employer contributions		34,907			6,726
Benefit payments		(4,202	)		(3,863	)
Expenses		(245	)		(254	)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year		103,475			71,640
Funded status at end of year—net liability	$	(31,640	)	$	(30,106	)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	$	38,810		$	36,753
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year		(2,343	)		(2,281	)
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		31,789			4,338
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$	68,256		$	38,810

Components of net periodic benefit cost

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost	$	4,689		$	3,500		$	3,107
Interest cost		5,453			5,233			4,833
Expected return on plan assets		(5,490	)		(4,646	)		(3,873	)
Recognized net amortization and deferral		2,343			2,281			2,648
Net periodic benefit cost		6,995			6,368			6,715
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year		(2,343	)		(2,281	)		(2,648	)
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		31,789			4,338			(1,089	)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		29,446			2,057			(3,737	)
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	36,441		$	8,425		$	2,978
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations		4.35	%		5.46	%		5.95	%
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost		5.46	%		5.95	%		5.96	%
Expected long-term return on plan assets		7.50	%		7.50	%		7.50	%
Rate of compensation increase		4.00	%		4.00	%		4.00	%

Fair values measurements of pension plan assets

Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2011
Asset Category	Total		Quoted Prices in Active  Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Hancock Horizon Government Money Market Fund	$	28,081	$	28,081	$	—	$	—
Hancock Horizon Strategic Income Bond Fund		29,895		29,895		—		—
Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/Short Fund		3,674		3,674		—		—
Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund		6,266		6,266		—		—
Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund		2,414		2,414		—		—
Hancock Horizon Growth Fund		13,403		13,403		—		—
Hancock Horizon Value Fund		19,742		19,742		—		—
TOTAL	$	103,475	$	103,475	$	—	$	—

Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2010
Asset Category	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Hancock Horizon Government Money Market Fund	$	2,573	$	2,573	$	—	$	—
Hancock Horizon Strategic Income Bond Fund		25,974		25,974		—		—
Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/Short Fund		3,525		3,525		—		—
Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund		6,277		6,277		—		—
Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund		2,264		2,264		—		—
Hancock Horizon Growth Fund		12,392		12,392		—		—
Hancock Horizon Value Fund		18,635		18,635		—		—
TOTAL	$	71,640	$	71,640	$	—	$	—

Weighted average asset allocations and target allocations

	Plan Assets at December 31,						Target Allocation at December 31,
Asset category	2011			2010			2011			2010
Equity securities		44	%		60	%		40-70	%		40-70	%
Fixed income securities		29	%		36	%		30-60	%		30-60	%
Cash equivalents		27	%		4	%		0-10	%		0-10	%
		100	%		100	%

Hancock Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Components of defined benefit obligation

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010
Change in postretirement benefit obligation
Projected postretirement benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	12,373		$	10,290
Service cost		137			125
Interest cost		611			556
Plan participants' contributions		346			310
Actuarial loss		4,294			2,098
Benefit payments		(1,108	)		(1,006	)
Projected postretirement benefit obligation, end of year		16,653			12,373
Change in plan assets
Plan assets, beginning of year		—			—
Employer contributions		763			696
Plan participants' contributions		345			310
Benefit payments		(1,108	)		(1,006	)
Plan assets, end of year		—			—
Funded status at end of year—net liability	$	(16,653	)	$	(12,373	)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	$	5,546		$	3,701
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year		(489	)		(253	)
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		4,294			2,098
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$	9,351		$	5,546

Components of net periodic benefit cost

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost
Service cost	$	137		$	124		$	114
Interest costs		611			556			565
Amortization of net loss		538			302			296
Amortization of prior service cost		(48	)		(48	)		(48	)
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost		1,238			934			927
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Amount of loss recognized during the year		(538	)		(302	)		(296	)
Net actuarial (gain)/loss		4,293			2,098			1,574
Amortization of prior service cost		48			48			48
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		3,803			1,844			1,326
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	5,041		$	2,778		$	2,253

Assumed health care cost trend rates

	1% Decrease		Assumed		1% Increase
	in Rates		Rates		in Rates
Aggregated service and interest cost	$	654	$	748	$	866
Postretirement benefit obligation		14,655		16,653		19,114

Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Components of defined benefit obligation

	December 31, 2011
	Qualified			Nonqualified
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at acquisition date	$	216,992		$	14,442
Service cost		3,751			27
Interest cost		6,664			438
Actuarial loss		40,542			1,597
Benefits paid		(3,556	)		(570	)
Benefit obligation, end of year		264,393			15,934
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at acquisition date		223,495			—
Actual return on plan assets		(5,354	)		—
Employer contributions		10,000			570
Benefit payments		(3,556	)		(570	)
Expenses		—			—
Fair value of plan assets, end of year		224,585			—
Funded status at end of year—net liability	$	(39,808	)	$	(15,934	)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at acquistion date	$	—		$	—
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year		—			—
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		55,524			1,597
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$	55,524		$	1,597

Components of net periodic benefit cost

	Year Ended
	December 31, 2011
	Qualified			Nonqualified
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost	$	3,751		$	27
Interest cost		6,664			438
Expected return on plan assets		(9,628	)		—
Recognized net amortization and deferral		—			—
Net periodic benefit cost		787			465
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year		—			—
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		55,524			1,597
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		55,524			1,597
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	56,311		$	2,062
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations		4.31	%		4.31	%
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost		5.35	%		5.35	%
Expected long-term return on plan assets		7.50	%		—
Rate of compensation increase		3.58	%		3.58	%

Weighted average asset allocations and target allocations

	At December 31, 2011
	Plan			Target
	Assets			Allocation
Asset category
Equity securities		60	%		40-70	%
Fixed income securities		35	%		30-50	%
Cash equivalents		5	%		0-10	%
		100	%

Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Components of defined benefit obligation

	Period Ended December 31 2011
Change in postretirement benefit obligation
Projected postretirement benefit obligation, from acquisition date	$	15,949
Service cost		—
Interest cost		480
Plan participants' contributions		523
Actuarial loss		1,645
Benefit payments		(1,143	)
Projected postretirement benefit obligation, end of year		17,454
Change in plan assets
Plan assets, beginning of year		—
Employer contributions		620
Plan participants' contributions		523
Benefit payments		(1,143	)
Plan assets, end of year		—
Funded status at end of year—net liability	$	(17,454	)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	$	—
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year		—
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		1,645
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$	1,645

Components of net periodic benefit cost

	2011
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost
Service cost	$	—
Interest costs		480
Amortization of net loss		—
Amortization of prior service cost		—
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost		480
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Amount of loss recognized during the year		—
Net actuarial (gain)/loss		1,645
Amortization of prior service cost		—
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		1,645
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other
comprehensive income	$	2,125

Assumed health care cost trend rates

	1% Decrease in Rates		Assumed Rates		1% Increase in Rates
Aggregated service and interest cost	$	431	$	480	$	538
Postretirement benefit obligation		15,620		17,454		19,631

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Acquisitions (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Breakdown of merger expenses
Personnel expense	$ 286,602	$ 142,042	$ 121,449
Equipment expense	17,524	10,569	9,849
Data processing expense	43,069	23,646	19,043
Net occupancy expense	43,220	23,803	20,340
Postage and communications	18,514	11,019	8,474
Professional services expense	69,931	16,447	12,321
Advertising	17,687	7,713	5,597
Insurance expense	7,490	2,010	1,905
Other expense	67,936	29,892	22,391
Whitney Holding Corporation [Member]
Breakdown of merger expenses
Personnel expense	13,960
Equipment expense	552
Data processing expense	3,163
Net occupancy expense	330
Postage and communications	897
Professional services expense	40,902
Printing and supplies	568
Advertising	5,958
Insurance expense	3,177
Other expense	17,255
Total merger-related expenses	86,762
Peoples First Community Bank [Member]
Breakdown of merger expenses
Personnel expense		27	1,760
Equipment expense		57
Data processing expense		944	6
Net occupancy expense		4	118
Postage and communications		60	1
Professional services expense		1,263	1,283
Printing and supplies		194	12
Advertising		113	408
Insurance expense
Other expense		505	94
Total merger-related expenses		$ 3,167	$ 3,682

XML

Loans (Details 4) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011 contracts	Dec. 31, 2010 contracts
Troubled Debt Restructurings That Subsequently Defaulted:
Number of Contracts, Subsequently Defaulted	2	0
Recorded Investment, Subsequently Defaulted	$ 742	$ 0
Commercial Loans [Member]
Troubled Debt Restructurings That Subsequently Defaulted:
Number of Contracts, Subsequently Defaulted	2	0
Recorded Investment, Subsequently Defaulted	$ 742	$ 0

XML

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Assets:
Cash and due from banks	$ 437,947	$ 139,687
Interest-bearing bank deposits	1,184,222	364,066
Federal funds sold	197	124
Other short-term investments	0	274,974
Securities available for sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $4,401,345 and $1,445,721)	4,496,900	1,488,885
Loans held for sale	72,378	21,866
Loans	11,191,901	4,968,149
Less: allowance for loan losses	(124,881)	(81,997)
unearned income	(14,875)	(10,985)
Loans, net	11,052,145	4,875,167
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $148,780 and $125,383	505,387	209,919
Prepaid expense	69,064	29,786
Other real estate, net	144,367	32,520
Accrued interest receivable	53,973	30,157
Goodwill	651,162	61,631
Other intangible assets, net	211,075	13,203
Life insurance contracts	355,026	159,377
FDIC loss share receivable	212,885	329,136
Deferred tax asset, net	145,760	6,541
Other assets	181,608	101,288
Total assets	19,774,096	8,138,327
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing demand	5,516,336	1,127,246
Interest-bearing savings, NOW, money market and time	10,197,243	5,648,473
Total deposits	15,713,579	6,775,719
Short-term borrowings	1,044,454	364,676
FHLB borrowings	0	10,172
Long-term debt	353,890	376
Accrued interest payable	8,284	4,007
Other liabilities	286,726	126,829
Total liabilities	17,406,933	7,281,779
Stockholders' equity
Common stock-$3.33 par value per share; 350,000,000 shares authorized, 84,705,496 and 36,893,276 issued and outstanding, respectively	282,069	122,855
Capital surplus	1,634,634	263,484
Retained earnings	476,970	470,828
Accumulated other comprehensive income(loss), net	(26,510)	(619)
Total stockholders' equity	2,367,163	856,548
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 19,774,096	$ 8,138,327

XML

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Income Taxes [Abstract]

Components of income tax expense

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Current federal	$	7,400		$	20,707		$	15,816
Current state		1,961			600			(241	)
Total current provision		9,361			21,307			15,575
Deferred federal		9,735			(10,676	)		6,753
Deferred state		(1,032	)		(926	)		591
Total deferred provision		8,703			(11,602	)		7,344
Total tax expense	$	18,064		$	9,705		$	22,919

Components of the company's deferred tax assets and liabilities

	December 31,
	2011			2010
Deferred tax assets:
Allowance for loan losses	$	85,289		$	30,356
Employee compensation and benefits		40,013			27,086
Loan purchase accounting adjustments		241,412			126,536
Demand deposits		2,308			1,218
Capital loss		—			153
Tax credit carryforward		25,465			663
Federal net operating loss		24,524			104
State net operating loss		2,958			1,274
Other		23,128			1,637
Gross deferred tax assets		445,097			189,027
Federal valuation allowance		—			(84	)
State valuation allowance		(2,415	)		(1,274	)
Subtotal valuation allowance		(2,415	)		(1,358	)
Net deferred tax assets		442,682			187,669
Deferred tax liabilities:
Fixed assets & intangibles		(135,987	)		(31,159	)
FHLB Stock Dividend		(1,119	)		(3,520	)
Securities		(55,642	)		(15,932	)
Deferred gain on acquisition		(13,232	)		(17,907	)
FDIC Indemnification Asset		(83,348	)		(104,785	)
Other		(7,594	)		(7,825	)
Gross deferred tax liabilities		(296,922	)		(181,128	)
Net deferred tax asset (liability)	$	145,760		$	6,541

Schedule of effective income tax rate reconciliation

		$33,188			$33,188			$33,188			$33,188			$33,188			$33,188
	Years Ended December 31,
	2011						2010						2009
	Amount			%			Amount			%			Amount			%
Taxes computed at statutory rate	$	33,188			35	%	$	21,669			35	%	$	34,195			35	%
Increases (decreases) in taxes resulting from:
State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit		689			1	%		(410	)		-1	%		706			1	%
Tax-exempt interest		(6,892	)		-8	%		(6,747	)		-11	%		(6,703	)		-7	%
Bank owned life insurance		(3,352	)		-4	%		(1,918	)		-3	%		(2,097	)		-2	%
Tax credits		(8,384	)		-9	%		(3,702	)		-6	%		(3,923	)		-4	%
Merger transaction costs		2,178			3	%		—			0	%		—			0	%
Other, net		637			1	%		813			1	%		741			1	%
Income tax expense	$	18,064			19	%	$	9,705			15	%	$	22,919			24	%

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Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans (Details 4)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Hancock Plan [Member]
Weighted average asset allocations and target allocations
Plan assets, equity securities	44.00%	60.00%
Target allocation, equity securities minimum	40.00%	40.00%
Target allocation, equity securities maximum	70.00%	70.00%
Plan assets, fixed income securities	29.00%	36.00%
Target allocation, fixed income securities minimum	30.00%	30.00%
Target allocation, fixed income securities maximum	60.00%	60.00%
Plan assets, cash equivalents	27.00%	4.00%
Target allocation, cash equivalents minimum	0.00%	0.00%
Target allocation, cash equivalents maximum	10.00%	10.00%
Weighted average asset allocations	100.00%	100.00%
Whitney Plan [Member]
Weighted average asset allocations and target allocations
Plan assets, equity securities	60.00%
Target allocation, equity securities minimum	40.00%
Plan assets, fixed income securities	35.00%
Target allocation, fixed income securities minimum	30.00%
Plan assets, cash equivalents	5.00%
Target allocation, cash equivalents minimum	0.00%
Weighted average asset allocations	100.00%

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Income Taxes (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Schedule of effective income tax rate reconciliation
Taxes computed at statutory rate, Amount	$ 33,188	$ 21,669	$ 34,195
Taxes computed at statutory rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Increases (decreases) in taxes resulting from:
State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit, Amount	689	(410)	706
State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit	1.00%	(1.00%)	1.00%
Tax-exempt interest, Amount	(6,892)	(6,747)	(6,703)
Tax-exempt interest	(8.00%)	(11.00%)	(7.00%)
Bank owned life insurance, Amount	(3,352)	(1,918)	(2,097)
Bank owned life insurance	(4.00%)	(3.00%)	(2.00%)
Tax credits, Amount	(8,384)	(3,702)	(3,923)
Tax credits	(9.00%)	(6.00%)	(4.00%)
Merger transaction costs, Amount	2,178
Merger transaction costs	3.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Other, net, Amount	637	813	741
Other, net	1.00%	1.00%	1.00%
Total tax expense, Amount	$ 18,064	$ 9,705	$ 22,919
Income tax expense	19.00%	15.00%	24.00%

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Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity (Parenthetical) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Cash dividends declared, per common share	$ 0.96	$ 0.96	$ 0.96
Common stock issued, long-term incentive plan, income tax benefit	$ 104	$ 322	$ 480

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Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011
Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Expected future pension plan benefit payments
2012	$ 12,154
2013	12,687
2014	13,701
2015	14,840
2016	15,912
2017-2021	96,643
Total	165,937
Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Expected future pension plan benefit payments
2012	2,078
2013	2,088
2014	2,082
2015	1,925
2016	1,869
2017-2021	8,695
Total	18,737
Hancock Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Expected future pension plan benefit payments
2012	832
2013	795
2014	838
2015	784
2016	813
2017-2021	4,245
Total	8,307
Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Expected future pension plan benefit payments
2012	1,246
2013	1,293
2014	1,244
2015	1,141
2016	1,056
2017-2021	4,450
Total	10,430
Qualified [Member] | Hancock Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Expected future pension plan benefit payments
2012	4,273
2013	4,394
2014	4,640
2015	4,971
2016	5,342
2017-2021	33,222
Total	56,842
Qualified [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Expected future pension plan benefit payments
2012	6,993
2013	7,410
2014	8,020
2015	8,735
2016	9,432
2017-2021	57,629
Total	98,219
Nonqualified [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Expected future pension plan benefit payments
2012	888
2013	883
2014	1,041
2015	1,134
2016	1,138
2017-2021	5,792
Total	$ 10,876

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Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Long-term debt
Subordinated notes payable	$ 150,000	$ 0
Term note payable	140,000	0
Subordinated debentures	0	0
Other long-term debt	63,890	376
Total long-term debt	$ 353,890	$ 376

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Stock-Based Payment Arrangements (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 years
Schedule of option activity under stock option plans
Number of Shares, Outstanding at Beginning Balance	1,129,520
Number of Shares, Whitney options converted at acquisition date	775,261
Number of Shares, Granted	200,601
Number of Shares, Exercised	(21,919)
Number of Shares, Forfeited or expired	(396,556)
Number of Shares, Outstanding at Ending Balance	1,686,907
Number of Shares, Exercisable at Ending Balance	1,183,667
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Outstanding at Beginning Balance	$ 35.08
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Whitney Bank options at acquisition date	$ 62.64
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Granted	$ 29.97
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Exercised	$ 18.14
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Forfeited or expired	$ 61.83
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Outstanding at Ending Balance	$ 41.05
Weighted- Average Exercise Price, Exercisable at Ending Balance	$ 44.25
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term, Outstanding at Ending Balance	5.2
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term, Exercisable at Ending Balance (in years)	3.6
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Outstanding at Ending Balance	$ 1,642
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Exercisable at Ending Balance	$ 1,241

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Property and Equipment (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Property and Equipment [Abstract]

Property and Equipment

	December 31,
	2011			2010
Land and land improvements	$	130,358		$	39,837
Buildings and leasehold improvements		372,232			185,878
Furniture, fixtures and equipment		92,097			71,179
Software		34,184			28,283
Assets under development		25,296			10,125
		654,167			335,302
Accumulated depreciation and amortization		(148,780	)		(125,383	)
Property and equipment, net	$	505,387		$	209,919

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Securities (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Amortized cost and fair value of securities by contractual maturity
Securities Available for Sale, Due in one year or less, Amortized Cost	$ 292,434
Securities Available for Sale, Due after one year through five years, Amortized Cost	915,985
Securities Available for Sale, Due after five years through ten years, Amortized Cost	405,288
Securities Available for Sale, Due after ten years, Amortized Cost	2,783,430
Securities Available for Sale, Equity securities , Amortized Cost	4,208
Total available for sale securities, Amortized Cost	4,401,345	1,445,721
Securities Available for Sale, Due in one year or less, Fair Value	293,803
Securities Available for Sale, Due after one year through five years, Fair Value	934,279
Securities Available for Sale, Due after five years through ten years, Fair Value	421,935
Securities Available for Sale, Due after ten years, Fair Value	2,840,630
Securities Available for Sale, Equity securities, Fair Value	6,253
Total available for sale securities, Fair Value	$ 4,496,900	$ 1,488,885

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Fair Value of Financial Instruments [Abstract]

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Note 14. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The FASB defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The FASB's guidance also established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to these valuation techniques used to measure fair value, giving preference to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs such as a reporting entity's own data (level 3). Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, observable inputs other than quoted prices, such as interest rates and yield curves, and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

Available for sale securities classified as level 1 within the valuation hierarchy include U.S. Treasury securities, obligations of U.S. Government-sponsored agencies, and certain other debt and equity securities. Level 2 classified available for sale securities include mortgage-backed debt securities and collateralized mortgage obligations that are agency securities, and state and municipal bonds. The Company invests only in high quality securities of investment grade quality with a targeted duration, for the overall portfolio, generally between two to five years. Company policies limit investments to securities having a rating of no less than "Baa", or its equivalent by a nationally recognized statistical rating agency, except for certain non-rated obligations of counties, parishes and municipalities within our markets in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Alabama. There were no transfers between levels during the periods shown.

The fair value of derivative financial instruments, which are predominantly interest rate swaps, is obtained from a third-party pricing service that uses an industry-standard discounted cash flow model that relies on inputs, such as interest rate futures, observable in the marketplace. To comply with the accounting guidance, credit valuation adjustments are incorporated in the fair values to appropriately reflect nonperformance risk for both the Company and the counterparties. Although the Company has determined that the majority of the inputs used to value the derivative instruments fall within level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the credit value adjustments utilize level 3 inputs, such as estimates of current credit spreads. The Company has determined that the impact of the credit valuation adjustments is not significant to the overall valuation of these derivatives. As a result, the Company has classified its derivative valuations in their entirety in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Fair Value of Assets Measured on a Recurring Basis

The following table presents for each of the fair-value hierarchy levels the Company's financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value (in thousands) on a recurring basis at December 31, 2011 and 2010.

	As of December 31, 2011
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets
Available for sale securities:
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities	$	250,067	$	—	$	250,067
Debt securities issued by states of the United States and political subdivisions of the states		—		309,665		309,665
Corporate debt securities		4,494		—		4,494
Residential mortgage-backed securities		—		2,480,345		2,480,345
Collateralized mortgage obligations		—		1,446,076		1,446,076
Equity securities		6,253		—		6,253
Derivative financial instruments—assets		—		14,952		14,952
Total assets	$	260,814	$	4,251,038	$	4,511,852
Liabilities
Derivative financial instruments—liabilities		—		15,643		15,643
Total Liabilities	$	—	$	15,643	$	15,643

	As of December 31, 2010
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets
Available for sale securities:
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities	$	117,435	$	—	$	117,435
Debt securities issued by states of the United States and political subdivisions of the states		—		180,443		180,443
Corporate debt securities		15,285		—		15,285
Residential mortgage-backed securities		—		799,686		799,686
Collateralized mortgage obligations		—		372,051		372,051
Equity securities		3,985		—		3,985
Short-term investments		274,974		—		274,974
Derivative financial instruments—assets		—		2,952		2,952
Total assets	$	411,679	$	1,355,132	$	1,766,811
Liabilities
Derivative financial instruments—liabilities	$	—	$	2,952	$	2,952
Total Liabilities	$	—	$	2,952	$	2,952

Fair Value of Assets Measured on a Nonrecurring Basis

Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis and, therefore, are not included in the above table. Collateral-dependent impaired loans are level 2 assets measured using appraisals from external parties of the collateral less any prior liens or based on recent sales activity for similar assets in the property's market. Other real estate owned are level 2 assets carried at the balance of the loan or at estimated fair value less estimated selling costs, whichever is less. Fair values are determined by sales agreement or appraisal.

The following table presents for each of the fair value hierarchy levels the Company's financial assets that are measured at fair value (in thousands) on a nonrecurring basis at December 31, 2011 and 2010.

	As of December 31, 2011
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets
Impaired loans	$	—	$	55,252	$	55,252
Other real estate owned		—		144,367		144,367
Total assets	$	—	$	199,619	$	199,619

	As of December 31, 2010
	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Assets
Impaired loans	$	—	$	95,787	$	95,787
Other real estate owned		—		32,520		32,520
Total assets	$	—	$	128,307	$	128,307

Accounting guidance from the FASB requires the disclosure of estimated fair value information about certain on- and off-balance sheet financial instruments, including those financial instruments that are not measured and reported at fair value on a recurring basis. The significant methods and assumptions used by the Company to estimate the fair value of financial instruments are discussed below.

Cash, Short-Term Investments and Federal Funds Sold—For those short-term instruments, the carrying amount is a reasonable estimate of fair value.

Securities Available for Sale—The fair value measurement for securities available for sale was discussed earlier.

Loans, Net—The fair value measurement for certain impaired loans was discussed earlier. For the remaining portfolio, fair values were generally estimated by discounting scheduled cash flows using discount rates determined with reference to current market rates at which loans with similar terms would be made to borrowers with similar credit quality.

Accrued Interest Receivable and Accrued Interest Payable—The carrying amounts are a reasonable estimate of fair values.

Deposits—The accounting guidance requires that the fair value of deposits with no stated maturity, such as noninterest-bearing demand deposits, interest-bearing checking and savings accounts, be assigned fair values equal to amounts payable upon demand (carrying amounts). The fair value of fixed-maturity certificates of deposit is estimated using the rates currently offered for deposits of similar remaining maturities.

Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase, Federal Funds Purchased, and FHLB Borrowings—For these short-term liabilities, the carrying amount is a reasonable estimate of fair value.

Long-Term Debt—The fair value is estimated by discounting the future contractual cash flows using current market rates at which debt with similar terms could be obtained.

Derivative Financial Instruments – The fair value measurement for derivative financial instruments was discussed earlier.

The estimated fair values of the Company's financial instruments were as follows (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2011				2010
	Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair
	Amount		Value		Amount		Value
Financial assets:
Cash, interest-bearing deposits, federal funds sold, and short-term investments	$	1,622,366	$	1,622,366	$	778,851	$	778,851
Securities available for sale		4,496,900		4,496,900		1,488,885		1,488,885
Loans, net		11,052,144		11,189,662		4,875,167		5,085,925
Loans held for sale		72,378		72,378		21,866		21,866
Accrued interest receivable		53,973		53,973		30,157		30,157
Derivative financial instruments		14,952		14,952		2,952		2,952
Financial liabilities:
Deposits	$	15,713,579	$	15,737,667	$	6,775,719	$	6,787,931
Federal funds purchased		16,819		16,819		—		—
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		1,027,635		1,027,635		364,676		364,676
FHLB borrowings		—		—		10,172		10,172
Long-term debt		353,890		365,421		376		376
Accrued interest payable		8,284		8,284		4,007		4,007
Derivative financial instruments		15,643		15,643		2,952		2,952

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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Abstract]

Components of other intangible assets and related amortization

The carrying value of intangible assets subject to amortization was as follows (in thousands):

	December 31, 2011
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Carrying Amount
Core deposit intangibles	$	206,047	$	27,691	$	178,356
Credit card and trust relationships		22,400		1,908		20,492
Value of insurance business acquired		2,431		1,926		505
Non-compete agreements		322		322		—
Trade name		11,822		100		11,722
	$	243,022	$	31,947	$	211,075

	December 31, 2010
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Carrying Amount
Core deposit intangibles	$	25,747	$	13,218	$	12,529
Value of insurance business acquired		2,431		1,757		674
Non-compete agreements		322		322		—
Trade name		100		100		—
	$	28,600	$	15,397	$	13,203

		Gross Carrying		Gross Carrying		Gross Carrying
	Years Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Aggregate amortization expense for:
Core deposit intangibles	$	14,474	$	2,491	$	1,114
Credit card and trust relationships		1,908		—		—
Value of insurance business acquired		169		213		255
Non-compete agreements		—		14		28
Trade name		—		10		20
	$	16,551	$	2,728	$	1,417

Estimated amortization expense of other intangible assets

2012	$	31,561
2013		29,565
2014		24,969
2015		20,579
2016		18,834
Thereafter		85,567
	$	211,075

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Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of consecutive year level of compensation for non qualified benefit pension plan	5 years
Number of final years of employment for non qualified benefit pension plan	10 years
Minimum service period must have completed to become vested in the Company's contributions	3 Years
Time period completed by employee to cover under defined benefit pension plan	1 year
Plan assets	$ 224,585,000
Number of shares of parent company included in plan assets	16,375
Value of Shares of Parent Company Included in Plan Assets	500,000
Percentage of shares of parent company included in plan assets	0.23%
Period of employment required to cover employee stock purchase plan	90 days
Hancock [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit increase (decrease) in pre- and post-medicare age health costs plan year in which rate reaches ultimate trend rate	5 years	6 years
Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Minimum number of hours worked by employee to cover under defined benefit pension plan	1,000 hours
Anticipated contributions	22,200,000
Cash equivalents	25,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Discount rate	4.25%
Defined Contribution Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of savings for calculating each employee participation in plan	50.00%
Maximum percentage of compensation on base percentage for participating in plan	6.00%
Period of employment required to cover employee under retirement plan	90 days
Maximum [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Age of employee at retirement to cover under defined benefit postretirement plan	65 years
Minimum [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Age of employee at retirement to cover under defined benefit postretirement plan	55 years
S&P 500 Index [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Return on investment	55.00%
Barclays Intermediate Aggregate Index [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Return on investment	45.00%
Hancock Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	109,100,000	83,600,000
Net actuarial loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income	4,600,000
Discount rate		5.30%
Plan assets	103,475,000	71,640,000
Contributions	4,500,000	2,000,000	1,800,000
Increase (decrease) in pre- and post-medicare age health costs rate	7.50%	8.00%
Decrease in ultimate rate over a period of time	5.00%	5.00%
Year of service who have reached 55 years of age	10 years
Year of service who have reached 65 years of age	5 years
Minimum age for increase in per capita cost of health care benefit	65 years
Period over assumed percentage to decrease for health care benefits	5 years	6 years
Hancock Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Project benefit obligation	135,115,000	101,746,000	89,720,000
Discount rate	4.35%	5.46%	5.95%
Plan assets	103,475,000	71,640,000	61,313,000
Contributions	34,907,000	6,726,000
Hancock Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Project benefit obligation	16,653,000	12,373,000	10,290,000
Plan assets	0	0	0
Contributions	763,000	696,000
Whitney Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net actuarial loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income	3,000,000
Maximum percentage of compensation on base percentage for participating in plan	4.00%
Discount rate	4.10%
Discretionary profit-sharing contribution by employer	1,300,000
Maximum percentage of plan assets to hold debt securities	10.00%
Maximum percentage of plan market value to equity securities	5.00%
Increase (decrease) in pre- and post-medicare age health costs rate	7.75%
Decrease in ultimate rate over a period of time	5.00%
Maximum average life of all purchases for debt portfolio	10 years
Minimum age for increase in per capita cost of health care benefit	65 years
Period over assumed percentage to decrease for health care benefits	8 years
Period over assumed percentage to decrease for health care benefits to decrease further	5 years
Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Project benefit obligation	17,454,000	15,949,000
Plan assets	0	0
Contributions	620,000
Qualified [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	239,100,000
Qualified [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Project benefit obligation	264,393,000	216,992,000
Discount rate	4.31%
Plan assets	224,585,000	223,495,000
Contributions	10,000,000
Nonqualified [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	15,700,000
Nonqualified [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Project benefit obligation	15,934,000	14,442,000
Discount rate	4.31%
Plan assets	0	0
Contributions	$ 570,000

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Other Noninterest Income and Other Noninterest Expense

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Other Noninterest Income and Other Noninterest Expense [Abstract]

Other Noninterest Income and Other Noninterest Expense

Note 16. Other Noninterest Income and Other Noninterest Expense

The components of other noninterest income and other noninterest expense are as follows (in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Other noninterest income:
Income from bank owned life insurance	$	9,311	$	5,219	$	5,527
Safety deposit box income		1,591		841		794
Appraisal fee income		1,088		714		854
Letter of credit fees		4,193		1,451		1,309
Other		9,395		3,800		7,563
Total other noninterest income	$	25,578	$	12,025	$	16,047
Other noninterest expense:
Ad valorem and franchise taxes		5,330		3,568		3,621
Printing and supplies		5,608		2,380		1,911
Other fees		4,677		3,649		3,802
ORE expense		6,910		4,475		1,357
Insurance expense		7,490		2,010		1,905
Travel		3,590		2,137		1,152
Entertainment and contributions		3,954		1,651		1,346
Miscellaneous losses		8,781		1,080		1,663
Tax credit investment amortization		3,515		—		—
Other expense		18,081		8,942		5,634
Total other noninterest expense	$	67,936	$	29,892	$	22,391

Included in noninterest expense are merger-related expenses related to the Whitney and People's First acquisitions. See Note 2 for detail.

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Loans (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Loans, net of unearned income
Total commercial	$ 3,800,230	$ 1,081,621
Total construction	1,263,005	652,857
Total real estate	2,998,923	1,413,287
Total residential mortgage loans	1,507,498	659,689
Total consumer loans	1,607,370	1,149,710
Total Loans	11,177,026	4,957,164
Originated loans [Member]
Loans, net of unearned income
Total commercial	1,525,409	1,046,431
Total construction	540,806	495,590
Total real estate	1,259,757	1,231,414
Total residential mortgage loans	487,147	366,183
Total consumer loans	1,074,611	1,008,395
Total Loans	4,887,730	4,148,013
Acquired loans [Member]
Loans, net of unearned income
Total commercial	2,236,758	0
Total construction	603,371	0
Total real estate	1,656,515	0
Total residential mortgage loans	734,669	0
Total consumer loans	386,540	0
Total Loans	5,617,853	0
Covered loans [Member]
Loans, net of unearned income
Total commercial	38,063	35,190
Total construction	118,828	157,267
Total real estate	82,651	181,873
Total residential mortgage loans	285,682	293,506
Total consumer loans	146,219	141,315
Total Loans	$ 671,443	$ 809,151

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Commitments and Contingencies (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011
Future minimum lease payments for all non-cancelable capital and operating leases
Capital Leases - 2012	$ 60
Capital Leases - 2013	65
Capital Leases - 2014	9
Capital Leases - 2015	7
Capital Leases - 2016	1
Capital Leases - Thereafter	14
Capital Leases - Total minimum lease payments	156
Capital Leases - Amounts representing interest	40
Capital Lease - Present value of net minimum lease payments	116
Operating Leases - 2012	12,944
Operating Leases - 2013	11,840
Operating Leases - 2014	11,230
Operating Leases - 2015	10,031
Operating Leases - 2016	9,145
Operating Leases - Thereafter	62,462
Operating Leases - Total minimum lease payments	$ 117,652

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Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Operating Activities:
Net income	$ 76,759	$ 52,206	$ 74,775
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	24,605	13,526	15,549
Provision for loan losses	38,732	65,991	54,590
Losses (gains) on other real estate owned	4,922	(1,960)	768
Deferred tax expense (benefit)	26,577	(11,612)	(6,953)
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance contracts	(12,169)	(8,022)	(6,396)
Gain on acquisition			(20,732)
Loss (gain) on sales/paydowns of securities available for sale, net	91		(69)
(Gain) on disposal of other assets	(424)	(316)	(1,478)
Net (increase) decrease in loans originated for sale	(1,560)	22,032	(13,822)
Net amortization of securities premium/discount	29,523	7,071	917
Amortization of intangible assets	16,551	2,728	1,417
Stock-based compensation expense	7,196	4,077	3,254
(Decrease) increase in interest payable and other liabilities	(99,986)	(12,405)	16,702
Decrease (increase) in FDIC indemnification asset	116,251	(3,530)
Decrease (increase) in other assets	46,082	65,963	(100,474)
Other, net	(104)	(951)	94
Net cash provided by operating activities	273,046	194,798	18,142
Investing Activities:
Net (increase) decrease in interest-bearing time deposits	(104,647)	218,015	(558,271)
Proceeds from sales of securities available for sale	342,864		10,202
Proceeds from maturities of securities available for sale	998,726	603,102	599,066
Purchases of securities available for sale	(1,732,757)	(489,835)	(509,304)
Net decrease (increase) in federal funds sold and short-term investments	281,639	(59,573)	317,319
Net decrease in loans	86,057	40,400	17,906
Purchases of property and equipment	(72,975)	(21,899)	(12,305)
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment	9,326	2,220	2,700
Proceeds from sales of other real estate	80,125	41,945	8,015
Cash paid for acquisition, net of cash received	(74,736)		378,367
Net cash paid for divestiture of branches	(114,645)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(301,023)	334,375	253,695
Financing Activities:
Net decrease in deposits	(65,298)	(420,093)	(298,062)
Increase (decrease) in other short-term borrowings	123,525	(120,031)	(21,225)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	150,317
Repayments of long-term notes	(16,641)	(295)	(166)
Proceeds from issuance of short-term notes			1,609,399
Repayments of short-term notes	(10,172)	(20,000)	(1,694,898)
Dividends paid	(70,617)	(35,721)	(32,011)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	1,025	1,618	2,213
Proceeds from stock offering	213,994		167,372
Excess tax benefit from stock option exercises	104	322	480
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	326,237	(594,200)	(266,898)
(Increase) decrease in cash and due from banks	298,260	(65,027)	4,939
Cash and due from banks at beginning of year	139,687	204,714	199,775
Cash and due from banks at end of year	437,947	139,687	204,714
Supplemental Information
Income taxes paid	24,529	22,878	5,810
Interest paid, including capitalized interest of $12, $70, and $20, respectively	66,695	83,161	96,797
Supplemental Information for Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Assets acquired in settlement of loans	117,690	59,758	20,023
Acquisitions
Fair value of assets acquired	11,156,952		1,715,266
Fair value of liabilities assumed	(10,130,706)		(1,694,534)
Net identifiable assets acquired	1,026,246		20,732
Common stock issued in connection with acquisition	$ 1,308,044

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Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Consolidated Balance Sheets [Abstract]
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	$ 4,401,345	$ 1,445,721
Property and equipment, accumulated depreciation	$ 148,780	$ 125,383
Common stock, par value per share	$ 3.33	$ 3.33
Common stock, shares authorized	350,000,000	350,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	84,705,496	36,893,276
Common stock, shares outstanding	84,705,496	36,893,276

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Deposits

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Deposits [Abstract]

Deposits

Note 9. Deposits

The maturities of interest bearing deposits at December 31, 2011 follow (in thousands):

2012	$	2,395,425
2013		327,779
2014		85,203
2015		154,998
2016		65,220
Thereafter		47,622
Total time deposits		3,076,247
Interest-bearing deposits with no stated maturity		7,120,996
Total interest-bearing deposits	$	10,197,243

Time deposits of $100,000 or more totaled approximately $1.6 billion and $1.3 billion at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	$ 4,496,900	$ 1,488,885
Short-term investments	0	274,974
Total assets	4,511,852	1,766,811
Liabilities
Total Liabilities	15,643	2,952
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	250,067	117,435
Debt securities issued by states of the United States and political subdivisions of the states [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	309,665	180,443
Corporate debt securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	4,494	15,285
Residential mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	2,480,345	799,686
Collateralized mortgage obligations [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	1,446,076	372,051
Equity securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	6,253	3,985
Derivative financial instruments-assets [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Derivative financial instruments - assets	14,952	2,952
Derivative financial instruments-liabilities [Member]
Liabilities
Derivative financial instruments - liabilities	15,643	2,952
Level 1 [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Short-term investments		274,974
Total assets	260,814	411,679
Liabilities
Total Liabilities	0	0
Level 1 [Member] | U.S. Treasury and government agency securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	250,067	117,435
Level 1 [Member] | Debt securities issued by states of the United States and political subdivisions of the states [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	0	0
Level 1 [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	4,494	15,285
Level 1 [Member] | Residential mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	0	0
Level 1 [Member] | Collateralized mortgage obligations [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	0	0
Level 1 [Member] | Equity securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	6,253	3,985
Level 1 [Member] | Derivative financial instruments-assets [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Derivative financial instruments - assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] | Derivative financial instruments-liabilities [Member]
Liabilities
Derivative financial instruments - liabilities	0	0
Level 2 [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Short-term investments		0
Total assets	4,251,038	1,355,132
Liabilities
Total Liabilities	15,643	2,952
Level 2 [Member] | U.S. Treasury and government agency securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	0	0
Level 2 [Member] | Debt securities issued by states of the United States and political subdivisions of the states [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	309,665	180,443
Level 2 [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	0	0
Level 2 [Member] | Residential mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	2,480,345	799,686
Level 2 [Member] | Collateralized mortgage obligations [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	1,446,076	372,051
Level 2 [Member] | Equity securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	0	0
Level 2 [Member] | Derivative financial instruments-assets [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities
Derivative financial instruments - assets	14,952	2,952
Level 2 [Member] | Derivative financial instruments-liabilities [Member]
Liabilities
Derivative financial instruments - liabilities	$ 15,643	$ 2,952

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Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Hancock Plan [Member]
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations		5.30%
Whitney Plan [Member]
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations	4.10%
Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member] | Hancock Plan [Member]
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost	$ 4,689	$ 3,500	$ 3,107
Interest cost	5,453	5,233	4,833
Expected return on plan assets	(5,490)	(4,646)	(3,873)
Recognized net amortization and deferral	2,343	2,281	2,648
Net periodic benefit cost	6,995	6,368	6,715
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year	(2,343)	(2,281)	(2,648)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	29,446	2,057	(3,737)
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	36,441	8,425	2,978
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations	4.35%	5.46%	5.95%
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost	5.46%	5.95%	5.96%
Expected long-term return on plan assets	7.50%	7.50%	7.50%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%
Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member] | Qualified [Member]
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost	3,751
Interest cost	6,664
Expected return on plan assets	(9,628)
Recognized net amortization and deferral
Net periodic benefit cost	787
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	55,524
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	56,311
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations	4.31%
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost	5.35%
Expected long-term return on plan assets	7.50%
Rate of compensation increase	3.58%
Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member] | Nonqualified [Member]
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost	27
Interest cost	438
Expected return on plan assets
Recognized net amortization and deferral
Net periodic benefit cost	465
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	1,597
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	2,062
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations	4.31%
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost	5.35%
Rate of compensation increase	3.58%
Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations	4.25%
Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member] | Hancock Plan [Member]
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost	137	124	114
Interest cost	611	556	565
Amortization of net loss	538	302	296
Amortization of prior service cost	(48)	(48)	(48)
Net periodic benefit cost	1,238	934	927
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year	(538)	(302)	(296)
Net actuarial (gain)/loss	4,293	2,098	1,574
Amortization of prior service cost	48	48	48
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	3,803	1,844	1,326
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	5,041	2,778	2,253
Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member]
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost
Interest cost	480
Amortization of net loss
Amortization of prior service cost
Net periodic benefit cost	480
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year
Amortization of prior service cost
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	1,645
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$ 2,125

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Stockholders' Equity (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Stockholders' Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Minimum Tier 1 capital ratio		7.00%
Well capitalized total risk based capital ratio		11.50%
Amount available for dividend distribution		11.1
Hancock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Number of shares purchased by underwriters	6,958,143
Public offering price of share	$ 32.25
Proceeds from issuance from initial public offering	$ 214
Minimum risk-based capital ratio		8.00%	8.00%
Minimum Tier 1 capital ratio		4.00%	4.00%
Minimum Tier 1 leverage capital ratio		3.00%	3.00%
Well capitalized total risk based capital ratio		10.00%
Well capitalized Tier 1 risked-based capital ratio		6.00%
Well capitalized Tier 1 leverage capital ratio		5.00%
All Other [Member]
Stockholders' Equity (Textual) [Abstract]
Well capitalized Tier 1 leverage capital ratio		4.00%

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Condensed Parent Company Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2008
Assets:
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	$ 4,496,900	$ 1,488,885
Total assets	19,774,096	8,138,327	8,697,083
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Long-term debt	353,890	376
Other liabilities	286,726	126,829
Stockholders' equity	2,367,163	856,548	837,663	609,499
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	19,774,096	8,138,327
Hancock [Member]
Assets:
Cash	28,015	787
Investment in bank subsidiaries	2,358,368	833,965
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	103,788	0
Investment in non-bank subsidiaries	10,222	20,798
Due from subsidiaries and other assets	9,014	1,567
Total assets	2,509,407	857,117
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Due to subsidiaries	158	569
Long-term debt	140,000	0
Other liabilities	2,086	0
Stockholders' equity	2,367,163	856,548
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,509,407	$ 857,117

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Document and Entity Information (USD $) In Billions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Feb. 01, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	HANCOCK HOLDING CO
Entity Central Index Key	0000750577
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2011
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2011
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 2.6
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		84,749,038

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Borrowings

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Borrowings [Abstract]

Borrowings

Note 10. Borrowings

Short-Term Borrowings

The following table presents information concerning short-term borrowings (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2011		2010
Federal funds purchased
Amount outstanding at period-end	$	16,819	$	—
Weighted average interest rate at period-end		0.19%		—
Weighted average interest rate during the year		0.18%		0.13%
Average daily balance during the year	$	12,911	$	2,734
Maximum month end balance during the year	$	26,666	$	6,900
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase
Amount outstanding at period-end	$	1,027,635	$	364,676
Weighted average interest rate at period-end		0.65%		1.69%
Weighted average interest rate during the year		1.03%		1.95%
Average daily balance during the year	$	681,474	$	477,174
Maximum month end balance during the year	$	1,027,635	$	534,627
FHLB borrowings:
Amount outstanding at period-end	$	—	$	10,172
Weighted average interest rate at period-end		—		1.19%
Weighted average interest rate during the year		0.15%		0.57%
Average daily balance during the year	$	81,673	$	22,846
Maximum month end balance during the year	$	10,153	$	30,676

The Banks borrow funds on a secured basis by selling securities under agreements to repurchase, mainly in connection with treasury-management services offered to their deposit customers. Customer repurchase agreements generally mature daily. Borrowings under repurchase agreements also include certain term agreements with dealers with various maturities, all of which are callable by the dealer. The Banks have the ability to exercise legal authority over the underlying securities. Federal funds purchased represent unsecured borrowings from other banks, generally on an overnight basis.

Long-Term Borrowings

The Company has a line of credit with the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of $2.7 billion which is secured by a blanket pledge of certain mortgage loans. At December 31, 2011, the borrowing capacity under the FHLB line of credit was approximately $2.5 billion.

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Property and Equipment (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Property and equipment
Property and equipment, gross	$ 654,167	$ 335,302
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(148,780)	(125,383)
Property and equipment, net	505,387	209,919
Land and land improvements [Member]
Property and equipment
Property and equipment, gross	130,358	39,837
Buildings and leasehold improvements [Member]
Property and equipment
Property and equipment, gross	372,232	185,878
Furniture, fixtures and equipment [Member]
Property and equipment
Property and equipment, gross	92,097	71,179
Software [Member]
Property and equipment
Property and equipment, gross	34,184	28,283
Assets under development [Member]
Property and equipment
Property and equipment, gross	$ 25,296	$ 10,125

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Stockholders' Equity (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount	$ 2,100,000
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	11.50%
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Ratio %	9.50%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	7.00%
Hancock [Member]
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount	1,783,037	846,541
Actual, Ratio %	13.59%	16.60%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	1,049,495	407,970
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	8.00%	8.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	10.00%
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount	1,506,218	782,301
Actual, Ratio %	11.48%	15.34%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	524,748	203,985
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	4.00%	4.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	6.00%
Tier 1 leverage capital
Actual, Amount	1,506,218	782,301
Actual, Ratio %	8.17%	9.65%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	553,318	243,160
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	3.00%	3.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	5.00%
Hancock Bank [Member]
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount	437,225	446,894
Actual, Ratio %	14.21%	16.46%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	246,072	217,206
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	8.00%	8.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount	307,590	271,507
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	10.00%	10.00%
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount	397,900	412,632
Actual, Ratio %	12.94%	15.20%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	123,036	108,603
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	4.00%	4.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount	184,554	162,904
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	6.00%	6.00%
Tier 1 leverage capital
Actual, Amount	397,900	412,632
Actual, Ratio %	8.15%	8.03%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	146,408	154,198
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	3.00%	3.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount	244,013	256,996
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	5.00%	5.00%
Whitney Bank [Member]
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount	1,277,591
Actual, Ratio %	12.76%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	801,025
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	8.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount	1,001,281
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	10.00%
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount	1,091,770
Actual, Ratio %	10.90%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	400,512
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	4.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount	600,769
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	6.00%
Tier 1 leverage capital
Actual, Amount	1,091,770
Actual, Ratio %	8.19%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount	399,725
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %	3.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount	666,208
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %	5.00%
Hancock Bank of Louisiana [Member]
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount		344,447
Actual, Ratio %		15.72%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount		175,339
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %		8.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount		219,174
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %		10.00%
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount		316,905
Actual, Ratio %		14.46%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount		87,670
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %		4.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount		131,504
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %		6.00%
Tier 1 leverage capital
Actual, Amount		316,905
Actual, Ratio %		11.33%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount		83,878
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %		3.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount		139,797
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %		5.00%
Hancock Bank of Alabama [Member]
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount		33,543
Actual, Ratio %		17.39%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount		15,432
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %		8.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount		19,290
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %		10.00%
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Actual, Amount		31,102
Actual, Ratio %		16.12%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount		7,716
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %		4.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount		11,574
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %		6.00%
Tier 1 leverage capital
Actual, Amount		31,102
Actual, Ratio %		16.38%
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Amount		5,698
Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy, Ratio %		3.00%
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Amount		$ 9,496
To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions, Ratio %		5.00%

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Consolidated Statements of Income (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Interest income:
Loans, including fees	$ 499,721	$ 284,922	$ 244,124
Securities-taxable	84,321	60,653	70,573
Securities-tax exempt	6,031	5,232	4,555
Federal funds sold and other short term investments	2,131	1,751	4,475
Total interest income	592,204	352,558	323,727
Interest expense:
Deposits	55,691	72,903	84,313
Short-term borrowings	7,034	9,306	10,809
Long-term debt and other interest expense	8,246	136	178
Total interest expense	70,971	82,345	95,300
Net interest income	521,233	270,213	228,427
Provision for loan losses	38,732	65,991	54,590
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	482,501	204,222	173,837
Noninterest income:
Service charges on deposit accounts	55,265	45,335	45,354
Bank card fees	28,879	14,941	11,252
Trust fees	23,940	16,715	15,127
Insurance commissions and fees	16,524	14,461	14,355
Investment and annuity fees	15,016	10,181	8,220
ATM fees	14,052	9,486	7,374
Secondary mortgage market operations	10,484	8,915	5,906
Accretion of indemnification asset	16,689	4,890
Bargain purchase gain on acquisition			33,623
Other income	25,578	12,025	16,047
Securities gains (losses), net	(91)		69
Total noninterest income	206,336	136,949	157,327
Noninterest expense:
Compensation expense	234,071	112,478	95,674
Employee benefits	52,531	29,564	25,775
Salaries and employee benefits	286,602	142,042	121,449
Net occupancy expense	43,220	23,803	20,340
Equipment expense	17,524	10,569	9,849
Data processing expense	43,069	23,646	19,043
Professional services expense	69,931	16,447	12,321
Telecommunications and postage	18,514	11,019	8,474
Advertising	17,687	7,713	5,597
Deposit insurance and regulatory fees	12,980	11,401	12,589
Amortization of intangibles	16,551	2,728	1,417
Other expense	67,936	29,892	22,391
Total noninterest expense	594,014	279,260	233,470
Income before income taxes	94,823	61,911	97,694
Income taxes	18,064	9,705	22,919
Net income	$ 76,759	$ 52,206	$ 74,775
Basic earnings per common share	$ 1.16	$ 1.41	$ 2.28
Diluted earnings per common share	$ 1.15	$ 1.40	$ 2.26

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Derivatives

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Derivatives [Abstract]

Derivatives

Note 4. Derivatives

Risk Management Objective of Using Derivatives

The Company enters into derivative financial instruments to manage risks related to differences in the amount, timing, and duration of the Company's known or expected cash receipts and its known or expected cash payments, currently related to our variable rate borrowing and fixed rate loans. The Company has also entered into interest rate derivative agreements as a service to certain qualifying customers. The Company manages a matched book with respect to its customer derivatives in order to minimize its net risk exposure resulting from such agreements.

Fair Values of Derivative Instruments on the Balance Sheet

The table below presents the fair value (in thousands) of the Company's derivative financial instruments as well as their classification on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010.

Tabular Disclosure of Fair Values of Derivative Instruments
	Asset Derivatives							Liability Derivatives
	As of December 31, 2011			As of December 31, 2010				As of December 31, 2011				As of December 31, 2010
	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
Interest rate products	Other assets	$	—		Other assets	$	—		Other liabilities	$	107		Other liabilities	$	—
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments		$	—			$	—			$	107			$	—
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Interest rate products	Other assets	$	14,952		Other assets	$	2,952		Other liabilities	$	15,536		Other liabilities	$	2,952
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments		$	14,952			$	2,952			$	15,536			$	2,952

Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk

The Company's objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, the Company primarily uses interest rate swaps as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. For hedges of the Company's variable-rate borrowings, interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed payments. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had one interest rate swap with an aggregate notional amount of $140.0 million that was designated as a cash flow hedge of the Company's forecasted variable cash flows under a variable-rate term loan agreement. The Company did not have any cash flow hedges outstanding at December 31, 2010 or during 2010.

The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated and qualifying as cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. The impact on AOCI during 2011 was insignificant, and the impact of reclassifications on earnings during 2012 is expected to also be insignificant. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of derivatives is recognized directly in earnings. No hedge ineffectiveness was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2011.

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges

Derivatives not designated as hedges are not speculative and result from a service the Banks provide to certain customers. The Banks execute interest rate derivatives, primarily rate swaps, with commercial banking customers to facilitate their risk management strategies. The Banks simultaneously enter into offsetting agreements with unrelated financial institutions, thereby minimizing its net risk exposure resulting from such transactions. As the interest rate derivatives associated with this program do not meet the strict hedge accounting requirements, changes in the fair value of both the customer derivatives and the offsetting derivatives are recognized directly in earnings. As of December 31, 2011, the Banks had entered into interest rate derivatives, including both customer and offsetting agreements, with an aggregate notional amount of $541.8 million related to this program.

Effect of Derivative Instruments on the Income Statement

The tables below present the effect of the Company's derivative financial instruments (in thousands) on the income statement for the years ended December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively.

Derivatives in FASB ASC 815 Cash Flow Hedging Relationships	Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in OCI on Derivative (Effective Portion) Year Ended					Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income	Amount of Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from  Accumulated OCI into Income (Effective Portion) Year Ended				Location of Gain  or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion)	Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion) Year Ended
	31-Dec-11			31-Dec-10			31-Dec-11		31-Dec-10			31-Dec-11		31-Dec-10
Interest Rate Products	$	(107	)	$	—	Interest income Other non- interest income	$	—	$	—	Other non-interest income	$	—	$	—
Total	$	(107	)	$	—		$	—	$	—		$	—	$	—

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Location of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative	Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Year Ended
		31-Dec-11			31-Dec-10
Interest Rate Products	Other non-interest income	$	(315	)	$	—
Total		$	(315	)	$	—

Credit Risk-Related Contingent Features

Certain of the Banks' derivative instruments contain provisions allowing the financial institution counterparty to terminate the contracts in certain circumstances, such as the downgrade of the Banks' credit ratings below specified levels, a default by the Bank on its indebtedness, or the failure of a Bank to maintain specified minimum regulatory capital ratios or its regulatory status as a well-capitalized institution. These derivative agreements also contain provisions regarding the positing of collateral by each party. The aggregate fair value of derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that were in a liability position on December 31, 2011 was $12.2 million, for which the Bank's had posted collateral of $11.6 million.

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Long-Term Debt

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Long-Term Debt [Abstract]

Long-Term Debt

Note 3.  Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt consisted of the following:

	December 31, 2011		December 31, 2010
Subordinated notes payable	$	150,000	$	—
Term note payable		140,000
Subordinated debentures		—		—
Other long-term debt		63,890		376
Total long-term debt	$	353,890	$	376

As part of the merger with Whitney, the Company assumed Whitney National Bank's $150 million par value subordinated notes which carry an interest rate of 5.875% and mature April 1, 2017. These notes qualify as capital for the calculation of the regulatory ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets. Beginning in the second quarter of 2012, the amount qualifying as capital will be reduced by 20% per year as the notes approach maturity.

During the second quarter of 2011, the Company borrowed $140 million under a term loan facility at a variable rate based on LIBOR plus 2.00% per annum. The note matures on June 3, 2013 and is pre-payable at any time. The Company is subject to covenants customary in financings of this nature and compliance with these covenants is not expected to impact the operations of the Company. The Company must maintain the following financial covenants: maximum ratio of consolidated non-performing assets to consolidated total loans and other real estate excluding covered loans of 4.0% through June 2012 and 3.5% thereafter; an initial minimum consolidated net worth of $2.1 billion increasing each quarter by 50% of consolidated net income, but not decreasing for net losses and increasing by 100% of any common stock issuance. The Company must also maintain a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 7%; a Tier 1 risk based capital ratio of at least 9.5%; and a total risk based capital ratio of at least 11.5%. The Company was in compliance with all covenants as of December 31, 2011.

Substantially all of the other long-term debt consists of borrowings associated with tax credit fund activities. These borrowings mature at various dates beginning in 2015 through 2041.

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Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Note 15. Commitments and Contingencies

Lending Related

In the normal course of business, the Banks enter into financial instruments, such as commitments to extend credit and letters of credit, to meet the financing needs of their customers. Such instruments are not reflected in the accompanying consolidated financial statements until they are funded, although they expose the Banks to varying degrees of credit risk and interest rate risk in much the same way as funded loans.

Commitments to extend credit include revolving commercial credit lines, nonrevolving loan commitments issued mainly to finance the acquisition and development of construction of real property or equipment, and credit card and personal credit lines. The availability of funds under commercial credit lines and loan commitments generally depends on whether the borrower continues to meet credit standards established in the underlying contract and has not violated other contractual conditions. Loan commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee by the borrower. Credit card and personal credit lines are generally subject to cancellation if the borrower's credit quality deteriorates. A number of commercial and personal credit lines are used only partially or, in some cases, not at all before they expire, and the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements of the Company.

A substantial majority of the letters of credit are standby agreements that obligate the Banks to fulfill a customer's financial commitments to a third party if the customer is unable to perform. The Banks issue standby letters of credit primarily to provide credit enhancement to their customers' other commercial or public financing arrangements and to help them demonstrate financial capacity to vendors of essential goods and services.

The contract amounts of these instruments reflect the Company's exposure to credit. The Company undertakes the same credit evaluation in making loan commitments and assuming conditional obligations as it does for on-balance sheet instruments and may require collateral or other credit support. These off-balance sheet financial instruments are summarized below (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2011		2010
Commitments to extend credit	$	4,189,421	$	912,206
Letters of credit		441,048		87,038

Approximately $3.8 billion and $729 million of commitments to extend credit at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, carry variable interest rates and the remainder fixed rates.

Legal Proceedings

On January 7, 2011, a purported shareholder of Whitney filed a lawsuit in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans of the State of Louisiana captioned De LaPouyade v. Whitney Holding Corporation, et al., No. 11-189, naming Whitney and members of Whitney's board of directors as defendants. This lawsuit is purportedly brought on behalf of a putative class of Whitney's common shareholders and seeks a declaration that it is properly maintainable as a class action. The lawsuit alleges that Whitney's directors breached their fiduciary duties and/or violated Louisiana state law and that Whitney aided and abetted those alleged breaches of fiduciary duty by, among other things, (a) agreeing to consideration that undervalues Whitney, (b) agreeing to deal protection devices that preclude a fair sales process, (c) engaging in self-dealing, and (d) failing to protect against conflicts of interest. Among other relief, the plaintiff sought to enjoin the merger. The parties have reached a settlement in principle.

On February 17, 2011, a complaint in intervention was filed by the Louisiana Municipal Police Employees Retirement System ("MPERS") in the De LaPouyade case. The MPERS complaint is substantially identical to and seeks to join in the De LaPouyade complaint. The parties have reached a settlement in principle.

On February 7, 2011, another putative shareholder class action lawsuit, Realistic Partners v. Whitney Holding Corporation, et al., Case No. 2:11-cv-00256, was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Whitney, members of Whitney's board of directors, and Hancock asserting violations of Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, breach of fiduciary duty under Louisiana state law, and aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty by, among other things, (a) making material misstatements or omissions in the proxy statement, (b) agreeing to consideration that undervalues Whitney, (c) agreeing to deal protection devices that preclude a fair sales process, (d) engaging in self-dealing, and (e) failing to protect against conflicts of interest. Among other relief, the plaintiff sought to enjoin the merger. On February 24, 2011, the plaintiff moved for class certification. The parties have reached a settlement in principle.

On April 11, 2011, another putative shareholder class action lawsuit, Jane Doe v. Whitney Holding Corporation, et al. , Case No. 2:11-cv-00794-ILRL-JCW, was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Whitney, members of Whitney's board of directors, and the defendants' insurance carrier asserting breach of fiduciary duty under Louisiana state law by, among other things, (a) agreeing to consideration that undervalues Whitney, (b) agreeing to deal protection devices that preclude a fair sales process, (c) engaging in self-dealing, and (d) failing to protect against conflicts of interest. Among other relief, the plaintiff sought to enjoin the merger. On April 20, 2011, this case was consolidated with the Realistic Partners case. The parties have reached a settlement in principle.

Like many other banks, Whitney Bank is a defendant in a class action lawsuit (Angelique LaCour v. Whitney Bank, D. (M.D. Fla.)) alleging that it improperly assessed overdraft fees on consumer and business deposit accounts owned by persons and entities that maintained those accounts, within the class period, at Whitney National Bank, or any of the entities that it acquired during the class period before its merger with Hancock Bank of Louisiana, due to the order in which it posted or processed debit card transactions against such deposit accounts. Plaintiff alleges that these posting practices resulted in excessive overdraft fees being imposed by the Company. While the Company admits no wrong doing, in order to fully and finally resolve the litigation and avoid the significant costs and expenses that would be involved in defending the case as well as the distraction caused by the litigation, Whitney Bank has entered into an agreement in principal whereby Whitney would pay the sum of $6.8 million in exchange for a full and complete release of all claims brought in the pending action. The proposed settlement is contingent on several factors, including final court approval and sufficient class participation. The Company establishes a liability for contingent litigation losses for any legal matter when payments associated with the claims become probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. The Company accrued for the proposed settlement in the 4^th quarter of 2011.

The Company accrues a liability for losses associated with litigation and regulatory matters when losses are both probable and estimable. Based on current knowledge, management does not believe that loss contingencies, if any, arising from other pending litigation and regulatory matters, including the litigation matters described above, will have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or liquidity of the Company.

Lease Commitments

The Company currently is obligated under a number of capital and non-cancelable operating leases for buildings and equipment. Certain of these leases have escalation clauses and renewal options.

Future minimum lease payments for non-cancelable capital and operating leases with initial terms in excess of one year were as follows at December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

	Captial Leases		Operating Leases
2012	$	60	$	12,944
2013		65		11,840
2014		9		11,230
2015		7		10,031
2016		1		9,145
Thereafter		14		62,462
Total minimum lease payments	$	156	$	117,652
Amounts representing interest		40
Present value of net minimum lease payments	$	116

Rental expense approximated $11.9 million, $7.2 million and $4.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively.

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Stockholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

Note 11. Stockholders' Equity

Common Stock Offering

In April 2011, Hancock completed an underwritten public offering of the Company's common stock. The underwriters purchased 6,958,143 shares at a public offering price of $32.25 per share. The net proceeds to the Company after deducting offering expenses and underwriting discounts totaled $214 million. The proceeds of the offering were used for general corporate purposes, including the enhancement of the Company's capital position and the purchase of Whitney Holding Corporation's TARP preferred stock and warrant in connection with the Whitney acquisition. The number and value of Company common shares exchanged in the Whitney transaction are discussed in Note 2.

Regulatory Capital

Measures of regulatory capital are an important tool used by regulators to monitor the financial health of financial institutions. The primary quantitative measures used to gauge capital adequacy are the ratios of total and Tier 1 regulatory capital to risk-weighted assets (risk-based capital ratios) and the ratio of Tier 1 capital to average total assets (leverage ratio). Both the Company and its bank subsidiaries are required to maintain minimum risk-based capital ratios of 8.0% total regulatory capital and, 4.0% Tier 1 capital. The minimum leverage ratio is 3.0% for bank holding companies and banks that meet certain specified criteria, including having the highest supervisory rating. All others are required to maintain a leverage ratio of at least 4.0%.

To evaluate capital adequacy, regulators compare an institution's regulatory capital ratios with their agency guidelines, as well as with the guidelines established as part of the uniform regulatory framework for prompt corrective supervisory action toward financial institutions. The framework for prompt corrective action categorizes capital levels into one of five classifications rating from well-capitalized to critically under-capitalized. For an institution to be eligible to be classified as well capitalized its total risk-based capital ratios must be at least 10.0% for total capital and 6.0% for Tier 1 capital, and its leverage ratio must be at least 5.0%. In reaching an overall conclusion on capital adequacy or assigning a classification under the uniform framework, regulators must also consider other subjective and quantitative measures of risk associated with an institution. All of the subsidiary banks were deemed to be well capitalized based upon the most recent notifications from their regulators. There are no conditions or events since those notifications that management believes would change these classifications. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company and the Banks were in compliance with all of their respective minimum regulatory capital requirements.

Following is a summary of the actual regulatory capital amounts and ratios for the Company and the Banks together with corresponding regulatory capital requirements at December 31, 2011 and 2010 (amounts in thousands):

	Actual				Required for Minimum Capital Adequacy				To Be WellCapitalized Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions
	Amount		Ratio %		Amount		Ratio %		Amount		Ratio %
At December 31, 2011
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Company	$	1,783,037		13.59	$	1,049,495		8.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		437,225		14.21		246,072		8.00		307,590		10.00
Whitney Bank		1,277,591		12.76		801,025		8.00		1,001,281		10.00
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Company	$	1,506,218		11.48	$	524,748		4.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		397,900		12.94		123,036		4.00		184,554		6.00
Whitney Bank		1,091,770		10.90		400,512		4.00		600,769		6.00
Tier 1 leverage capital
Company	$	1,506,218		8.17	$	553,318		3.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		397,900		8.15		146,408		3.00		244,013		5.00
Whitney Bank		1,091,770		8.19		399,725		3.00		666,208		5.00
At December 31, 2010
Total capital (to risk weighted assets)
Company	$	846,541		16.60	$	407,970		8.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		446,894		16.46		217,206		8.00		271,507		10.00
Hancock Bank of Louisiana		344,447		15.72		175,339		8.00		219,174		10.00
Hancock Bank of Alabama		33,543		17.39		15,432		8.00		19,290		10.00
Tier 1 capital (to risk weighted assets)
Company	$	782,301		15.34	$	203,985		4.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		412,632		15.20		108,603		4.00		162,904		6.00
Hancock Bank of Louisiana		316,905		14.46		87,670		4.00		131,504		6.00
Hancock Bank of Alabama		31,102		16.12		7,716		4.00		11,574		6.00
Tier 1 leverage capital
Company	$	782,301		9.65	$	243,160		3.00	$	N/A		N/A
Hancock Bank		412,632		8.03		154,198		3.00		256,996		5.00
Hancock Bank of Louisiana		316,905		11.33		83,878		3.00		139,797		5.00
Hancock Bank of Alabama		31,102		16.38		5,698		3.00		9,496		5.00

Regulatory Restrictions on Dividends

Regulatory policy statements provide that generally bank holding companies should pay dividends only out of current operating earnings and that the level of dividends must be consistent with current and expected capital requirements. Dividends received from its subsidiary banks have been the primary source of funds available to the Company for the payment of dividends to Hancock's stockholders. Federal and state banking laws and regulations restrict the amount of dividends the subsidiary banks may distribute to Hancock without prior regulatory approval, as well as the amount of loans they may make to the Company. Dividends paid by Hancock Bank are subject to approval by the Commissioner of Banking and Consumer Finance of the State of Mississippi and those paid by Whitney Bank are subject to approval by the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of the State of Louisiana. At December 31, 2011, the Banks had the capacity to declare and pay approximately $11.1 million in dividends to the Company without prior regulatory approval.

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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011
Estimated amortization expense of other intangible assets
2012	$ 31,561
2013	29,565
2014	24,969
2015	20,579
2016	18,834
Thereafter	85,567
Estimated amortization expense, total	$ 211,075

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Property and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Property and Equipment [Abstract]

Property and Equipment

Note 7. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization, consisted of the following (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2011			2010
Land and land improvements	$	130,358		$	39,837
Buildings and leasehold improvements		372,232			185,878
Furniture, fixtures and equipment		92,097			71,179
Software		34,184			28,283
Assets under development		25,296			10,125
		654,167			335,302
Accumulated depreciation and amortization		(148,780	)		(125,383	)
Property and equipment, net	$	505,387		$	209,919

Depreciation and amortization expense was $24.6 million, $13.5 million and $15.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

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Long-Term Debt (Details Textual) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Long-term debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Subordinated notes payable		$ 150,000	$ 0
Subordinated notes interest rate		5.875%
Percentage of potential amount of reduction from capital		20.00%
Term note payable		140,000	0
Reference rate for loan variable rate	LIBOR
Percentage points added to reference rate	2.00%
Maximum ratio of consolidated non-performing assets to consolidated total loans and OREO excluding covered loans through June 2012		4.00%
Maximum ratio of consolidated non performing assets to consolidated total loans and OREO excluding covered loans thereafter		3.50%
Consolidated net worth		$ 2,100,000
Percentage of consolidated net worth increase by consolidated net income		50.00%
Percentage of consolidated net worth increase by issuance of common stock		100.00%
Minimum Tier 1 capital ratio		7.00%
Minimum Tier 1 risk based capital ratio		9.50%
Well capitalized total risk based capital ratio		11.50%
Borrowings maturity date, starting period		2015
Borrowings maturity date, ending period		2041
5.875% [Member]
Long-term debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Debt instrument subordinate notes maturity date		April 1, 2017
LIBOR plus 2.00% [Member]
Long-term debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Debt instrument term loan facility maturity date		June 3, 2013

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Other Noninterest Income and Other Noninterest Expense (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Other noninterest income:
Income from bank owned life insurance	$ 9,311	$ 5,219	$ 5,527
Safety deposit box income	1,591	841	794
Appraisal fee income	1,088	714	854
Letter of credit fees	4,193	1,451	1,309
Other	9,395	3,800	7,563
Total other noninterest income	25,578	12,025	16,047
Other noninterest expense:
Ad valorem and franchise taxes	5,330	3,568	3,621
Printing and supplies	5,608	2,380	1,911
Other fees	4,677	3,649	3,802
ORE expense	6,910	4,475	1,357
Insurance expense	7,490	2,010	1,905
Travel	3,590	2,137	1,152
Entertainment and contributions	3,954	1,651	1,346
Miscellaneous losses	8,781	1,080	1,663
Tax credit investment amortization	3,515
Other expense	18,081	8,942	5,634
Total other noninterest expense	$ 67,936	$ 29,892	$ 22,391

XML

Securities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Securities [Abstract]

Securities

Note 5. Securities

The amortized cost and fair value of securities classified as available for sale follow (in thousands):

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value
U.S. Treasury	$	150	$	14	$	—		164	$	10,797	$	52	$	5		10,844
U.S. government agencies		248,595		1,308		—		249,903		106,054		971		434		106,591
Municipal obligations		294,489		15,218		42		309,665		181,747		4,107		5,411		180,443
Mortgage-backed securities		2,422,891		58,150		696		2,480,345		761,704		38,032		50		799,686
CMOs		1,426,495		21,774		2,193		1,446,076		367,662		6,880		2,491		372,051
Other debt securities		4,517		11		34		4,494		14,329		999		43		15,285
Other equity securities		4,208		2,086		41		6,253		3,428		660		103		3,985
	$	4,401,345	$	98,561	$	3,006	$	4,496,900	$	1,445,721	$	51,701	$	8,537	$	1,488,885

The following table presents the amortized cost and fair value of securities classified as available for sale at December 31, 2011, by contractual maturity (in thousands). Actual maturities will differ from contractual maturities because of rights to call or repay obligations with or without penalties.

	Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Due in one year or less	$	292,434	$	293,803
Due after one year through five years		915,985		934,279
Due after five years through ten years		405,288		421,935
Due after ten years		2,783,430		2,840,630
Equity securities		4,208		6,253
Total available for sale securities	$	4,401,345	$	4,496,900

The Company held no securities classified as held to maturity or trading at December 31, 2011 or 2010

The details concerning securities classified as available for sale with unrealized losses as of December 31, 2011 follow (in thousands):

	Losses < 12 months				Losses 12 months or >				Total
	Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
U.S. Treasury	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
U.S. government agencies		—		—		—		—		—		—
Municipal obligations		18,854		42		—		—		18,854		42
Mortgage-backed securities		212,900		692		337		4		213,237		696
CMOs		296,860		2,193		—		—		296,860		2,193
Other debt securities		398		34		—		—		398		34
Equity securities		1,685		39		2		2		1,687		41
	$	530,697	$	3,000	$	339	$	6	$	531,036	$	3,006

The details concerning securities classified as available for sale with unrealized losses as of December 31, 2010 were as follows (in thousands):

	Losses < 12 months				Losses 12 months or >				Total
	Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Gross Unrealized Losses
U.S Treasury	$	9,980	$	5	$	—	$	—	$	9,980	$	5
U.S. government agencies		74,566		434		—		—		74,566		434
Municipal obligations		57,713		3,092		19,870		2,319		77,583		5,411
Mortgage-backed securities		122		1		1,340		49		1,462		50
CMOs		122,312		2,491		—		—		122,312		2,491
Other debt securities		379		6		459		37		838		43
Equity securities		2,552		87		11		16		2,563		103
	$	267,624	$	6,116	$	21,680	$	2,421	$	289,304	$	8,537

Substantially all of the unrealized losses relate mainly to changes in market rates on fixed-rate debt securities since the respective purchase date. In all cases, the indicated impairment would be recovered by the security's maturity date or possibly earlier if the market price for the security increases with a reduction in the yield required by the market. None of the unrealized losses relate to the marketability of the securities or the issuer's ability to honor redemption of the obligations. The Company has adequate liquidity and, therefore, does not plan to sell and, is more likely than not, will not be required to sell these securities before recovery of the indicated impairment. Accordingly, the unrealized losses on these securities have been determined to be temporary.

Proceeds from sales of available for sale securities were approximately $342.9 million in 2011, $0.3 million in 2010 and $11.7 million in 2009. Realized gross gains and losses were insignificant. Substantially all of the proceeds in 2011 came from the sale of a portion of the portfolio acquired in the Whitney acquisition.

Securities with carrying values totaling approximately $3.0 billion at December 31, 2011 and $1.3 billion at December 31, 2010 were pledged primarily to secure public deposits or sold under agreements to repurchase.

XML

Loans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Loans [Abstract]

Loans

Note 6. Loans

Loans, net of unearned income, consisted of the following (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2011		2010
	(In thousands)
Originated loans:
Commerical	$	1,525,409	$	1,046,431
Construction		540,806		495,590
Real estate		1,259,757		1,231,414
Residential mortgage loans		487,147		366,183
Consumer loans		1,074,611		1,008,395
Total originated loans	$	4,887,730	$	4,148,013
Acquired loans:
Commerical	$	2,236,758	$	—
Construction		603,371		—
Real estate		1,656,515		—
Residential mortgage loans		734,669		—
Consumer loans		386,540		—
Total acquired loans		5,617,853		—
Covered loans:
Commerical	$	38,063	$	35,190
Construction		118,828		157,267
Real estate		82,651		181,873
Residential mortgage loans		285,682		293,506
Consumer loans		146,219		141,315
Total covered loans	$	671,443	$	809,151
Total loans:
Commerical	$	3,800,230	$	1,081,621
Construction		1,263,005		652,857
Real estate		2,998,923		1,413,287
Residential mortgage loans		1,507,498		659,689
Consumer loans		1,607,370		1,149,710
Total loans	$	11,177,026	$	4,957,164

The Company generally makes loans in its market areas of South Mississippi, South Alabama, South and Central Louisiana, the Houston, Texas area and Central and North Florida. Loans are made in the normal course of business to its directors, executive officers and their associates on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with other persons. Such loans did not involve more than normal risk of collectability. Balances of loans to the Company's directors, executive officers and their affiliates at December 31, 2011 and 2010 were approximately $64.7 million and $40.5 million, respectively. New loans, repayments and net balances from changes in directors and executive officers and their affiliates for 2011 were $28.0 million, $33.1 million and $29.3 million, respectively.

The following schedule shows activity in the allowance for loan losses for 2011 and 2010 by portfolio segment and the related corresponding recorded investment in loans as of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010. The information for 2009 is shown in summary form:

	Commercial			Residential mortgages			Consumer			Total
(In thousands)	December 31, 2011
Allowance for loan losses:
Beginning balance	$	56,859		$	4,626		$	20,512		$	81,997
Charge-offs		(54,754	)		(2,634	)		(12,875	)		(70,263	)
Recoveries		20,006			1,091			3,887			24,984
Net provision for loan losses (a)		29,762			1,632			7,338			38,732
Increase in indemnification asset (a)		26,541			9,203			13,687			49,431
Ending balance	$	78,414		$	13,918		$	32,549		$	124,881
Ending balance:
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	6,988		$	551		$	—		$	7,539
Ending balance:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	$	71,426		$	13,367		$	32,549		$	117,342
Ending balance:
Covered loans with deteriorated credit quality	$	18,203		$	9,024		$	14,408		$	41,635
Loans:
Ending balance:	$	8,062,158		$	1,507,498		$	1,607,370		$	11,177,026
Ending balance:
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	28,034		$	4,090		$	—		$	32,124
Ending balance:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	$	7,794,582		$	1,217,726		$	1,461,151		$	10,473,459
Ending balance:
Covered loans	$	239,542		$	285,682		$	146,219		$	671,443
Ending balance:
Acquired loans (b)	$	4,496,644		$	734,669		$	386,540		$	5,617,853

(a) The Company increased the allowance by $51.7 million for losses related to impairment on certain pools of covered loans. This provision was mostly offset by a $48.8 million increase in the FDIC indemnification asset.

(b) Acquired loans were recorded at fair value with no allowance brought forward in accordance with acquisition accounting. There has been no allowance since acquisition.

	Commercial			Residential mortgages			Consumer			Total			Total
(In thousands)	December 31, 2010												2009
Allowance for loan losses:
Beginning balance	$	42,484		$	4,782		$	18,784		$	66,050		$	61,725
Charge-offs		(39,393	)		(4,615	)		(14,258	)		(58,266	)		(54,915	)
Recoveries		3,491			740			3,353			7,584			4,650
Net provision for loan losses (a)		50,277			3,719			11,995			65,991			54,590
Increase in indemnification asset (a)		—			—			638			638			—
Ending balance	$	56,859		$	4,626		$	20,512		$	81,997		$	66,050
Ending balance:
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	10,648		$	1,304		$	—		$	11,952		$	10,972
Ending balance:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	$	46,211		$	3,322		$	20,512		$	70,045		$	55,078
Ending balance:
Covered loans with deteriorated credit quality	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Loans:
Ending balance:	$	3,147,765		$	659,689		$	1,149,710		$	4,957,164		$	5,114,175
Ending balance:
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	56,836		$	5,618		$	—		$	62,454		$	78,005
Ending balance:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	$	2,716,598		$	360,566		$	1,008,395		$	4,085,559		$	4,085,740
Ending balance:
Covered loans	$	374,331		$	293,505		$	141,315		$	809,151		$	950,430

(a) The Company increased the allowance by $0.7 million for losses related to impairment on certain pools of covered loans. This provision was mostly offset by a $0.6 million increase in the FDIC indemnification asset.

The following table shows the composition of non-accrual loans by portfolio segment and class. Covered and acquired loans are considered to be performing due to the application of the accretion method and are excluded from the table. Certain covered loans accounted for using the cost recovery method do not have an accretable yield and are disclosed below as non-accrual loans.

	December 31,		December 31,
	2011		2010
	(In thousands)
Originated loans:
Commercial Loans	$	55,046	$	50,379
Residential mortgage loans		24,406		18,699
Consumer loans		3,855		6,621
Total originated loans	$	83,307	$	75,699
Acquired loans:
Commercial Loans	$	—	$	—
Residential mortgage loans		—		—
Consumer loans		1,117		—
Total acquired loans	$	1,117	$	—
Covered loans:
Commercial Loans	$	18,209	$	41,917
Residential mortgage loans		637		3,199
Consumer loans		—		170
Total covered loans	$	18,846	$	45,286
Total loans:
Commercial Loans	$	73,255	$	92,296
Residential mortgage loans		25,043		21,898
Consumer loans		4,972		6,791
Total loans	$	103,270	$	120,985

  The amount of interest that would have been recorded on non-accrual loans had the loans not been classified as non-accrual in 2011, 2010 and 2009, was $4.9 million, $5.7 million and $2.0 million, respectively. Interest actually received on non-accrual loans during 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $1.1 million, $1.0 million and $0.3 million, respectively.

Included in non-accrual loans is $4.1 million in restructured commercial loans. Total troubled debt restructurings for the period ending December 31, 2011, were $18.1 million. The Company had $12.6 in loans classified as restructured at December 31, 2010. Non-accrual and restructured loans amounted to approximately 1.05% and 2.52% of total loans at December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. Modified acquired impaired loans are not removed from their accounting pool and accounted for as TDRs, even if those loans would otherwise be deemed TDRs.

The table below details the troubled debt restructurings that occurred during 2011 and 2010 by portfolio segment and troubled debt restructurings that subsequently defaulted within twelve months of modification (dollar amounts in thousands).

	2011						2010
Troubled Debt Restructurings:	Number of Contracts		Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Number of Contracts		Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment
Total loans:
Commercial loans		24	$	20,040	$	16,954		7	$	12,408	$	11,603
Residential mortgage loans		3		1,206		1,191		2		1,177		1,038
Total loans		27	$	21,246	$	18,145		9	$	13,585	$	12,641

	2011				2010
Troubled Debt Restructurings That Subsequently Defaulted:	Number of Contracts		Recorded Investment		Number of Contracts		Recorded Investment
Total loans:
Commercial loans		2	$	742		—	$	—
Total loans		2	$	742		—	$	—

  

The table below presents impaired loans disaggregated by class at December 31, 2011 and 2010:

		$0000000.00		$0000000.00		$0000000.00		$0000000.00		$0000000.00
December 31, 2011	Recorded Investment		Unpaid Principal Balance		Related Allowance		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
					(In thousands)
Total loans:
With no related allowance recorded:
Commercial		$28,051		$46,692	$	—		$18,461	$	359
Residential mortgages		1,582		2,802		—		2,934		58
Consumer		—		—		—		—		—
		29,633		49,494		—		21,395		417
With an allowance recorded:
Commercial		28,369		33,503		6,997		59,724		254
Residential mortgages		4,298		5,588		570		5,059		7
Consumer		—		—		—		—		—
		32,667		39,091		7,567		64,783		261
Total:
Commercial		56,420		80,195		6,997		78,185		613
Residential mortgages		5,880		8,390		570		7,993		65
Consumer		—		—		—		—		—
Total loans		$62,300		$88,585	$	7,567		$86,178	$	678

		$0000000.00		$0000000.00		$0000000.00		$0000000.00		$0000000.00
December 31, 2010	Recorded Investment		Unpaid Principal Balance		Related Allowance		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
					(In thousands)
Total loans:
With no related allowance recorded:
Commercial	$	64,558		$102,144	$	—	$	75,543	$	224
Residential mortgages		4,462		6,207		—		5,232		26
Consumer		170		170		—		184		—
		69,190		108,521		—		80,959		250
With an allowance recorded:
Commercial		34,194		40,244		10,648		36,650		523
Residential mortgages		4,355		4,873		1,304		4,358		88
Consumer		—		—		—		—		—
		38,549		45,117		11,952		41,008		611
Total:
Commercial		98,752		142,388		10,648		112,193		747
Residential mortgages		8,817		11,080		1,304		9,590		114
Consumer		170		170		—		184		—
Total loans	$	107,739		$153,638	$	11,952		$121,967	$	861

Covered and acquired loans with an accretable yield are considered to be current in the following delinquency table. Certain covered loans accounted for using the cost recovery method are disclosed according to their contractual payment status below. The following table presents the age analysis of past due loans at December 31, 2011 and 2010:

		$000000.00		$000000.00		$000000.00		$000000.00		$000000.00		$000000.00
December 31, 2011	30-89 days past due		Greater than 90 days past due		Total past due		Current		Total Loans		Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing
					(In thousands)
Originated loans:
Commercial loans	$	24,939	$	58,867	$	83,806	$	3,242,166	$	3,325,972	$	3,821
Residential mortgages loans		22,248		25,400		47,648		439,499		487,147		994
Consumer loans		4,284		3,911		8,195		1,066,416		1,074,611		56
Total	$	51,471	$	88,178	$	139,649	$	4,748,081	$	4,887,730	$	4,871
Acquired loans:
Commercial loans	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	4,496,644	$	4,496,644	$	—
Residential mortgages loans		—		—		—		734,669		734,669		—
Consumer loans		2,128		2,126		4,254		382,286		386,540		1,009
Total	$	2,128	$	2,126	$	4,254	$	5,613,599	$	5,617,853	$	1,009
Covered loans:
Commercial loans	$	—	$	18,209	$	18,209	$	221,333	$	239,542	$	—
Residential mortgages loans		—		637		637		285,045		285,682		—
Consumer loans		—		—		—		146,219		146,219		—
Total	$	—	$	18,846	$	18,846	$	652,597	$	671,443	$	—
Total loans:
Commercial loans	$	24,939	$	77,076	$	102,015	$	7,960,143	$	8,062,158	$	3,821
Residential mortgages loans		22,248		26,037		48,285		1,459,213		1,507,498		994
Consumer loans		6,412		6,037		12,449		1,594,921		1,607,370		1,065
Total	$	53,599	$	109,150	$	162,749	$	11,014,277	$	11,177,026	$	5,880

		$000000.00		$000000.00		$000000.00		$000000.00		$000000.00		$000000.00
December 31, 2010	30-89 days past due		Greater than 90 days past due		Total past due		Current		Total Loans		Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing
					(In thousands)
Originated loans:
Commercial loans	$	12,463	$	50,679	$	63,142	$	2,710,292	$	2,773,434	$	300
Residential mortgages loans		22,109		19,573		41,682		324,502		366,184		874
Consumer loans		6,499		6,939		13,438		994,957		1,008,395		318
Total	$	41,071	$	77,191	$	118,262	$	4,029,751	$	4,148,013	$	1,492
Acquired loans:
Commercial loans	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Residential mortgages loans		—		—		—		—		—		—
Consumer loans		—		—		—		—		—		—
Total	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Covered loans:
Commercial loans	$	—	$	41,917	$	41,917	$	332,414	$	374,331	$	—
Residential mortgages loans		—		3,199		3,199		290,306		293,505		—
Consumer loans		—		170		170		141,145		141,315		—
Total	$	—	$	45,286	$	45,286	$	763,865	$	809,151	$	—
Total loans:
Commercial loans	$	12,463	$	92,596	$	105,059	$	3,042,706	$	3,147,765	$	300
Residential mortgages loans		22,109		22,772		44,881		614,808		659,689		874
Consumer loans		6,499		7,109		13,608		1,136,102		1,149,710		318
Total	$	41,071	$	122,477	$	163,548	$	4,793,616	$	4,957,164	$	1,492

The following table presents the credit quality indicators of the Company's various classes of loans at December 31, 2011 and 2010:

Commercial Credit Exposure

Credit Risk Profile by Internally Assigned Grade

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Commercial - originated		Commercial - acquired		Commercial - covered		Total commercial		Commercial - originated		Commercial - covered		Total commercial
			(In thousands)								(In thousands)
Grade:
Pass	$	3,110,746	$	3,882,817	$	16,843	$	7,010,406	$	2,332,952	$	45,609	$	2,378,561
Pass-Watch		76,393		60,042		13,606		150,041		138,839		35,289		174,128
Special Mention		35,155		125,852		9,368		170,375		26,216		21,031		47,247
Substandard		103,254		426,003		124,371		653,628		265,180		254,033		519,213
Doubtful		424		1,930		75,242		77,596		10,247		18,369		28,616
Loss		—		—		112		112		—		—		—
Total	$	3,325,972	$	4,496,644	$	239,542	$	8,062,158	$	2,773,434	$	374,331	$	3,147,765

Residential Mortgage Credit Exposure

Credit Risk Profile by Internally Assigned Grade

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Residential mortgages - originated		Residential mortgages - acquired		Residential mortgages  - covered		Total residential mortgages		Residential mortgages - originated		Residential mortgages - covered		Total residential mortgages
			(In thousands)								(In thousands)
Grade:
Pass	$	460,261	$	673,751	$	120,180	$	1,254,192	$	284,712	$	159,885	$	444,597
Pass-Watch		7,499		1,773		18,133		27,405		7,857		29,673		37,530
Special Mention		542		9,686		3,286		13,514		—		15,220		15,220
Substandard		18,845		48,581		139,643		207,069		73,615		87,636		161,251
Doubtful		—		878		4,440		5,318		—		1,091		1,091
Loss		—		—		—		—		—		—		—
Total	$	487,147	$	734,669	$	285,682	$	1,507,498	$	366,184	$	293,505	$	659,689

Consumer Credit Exposure

Credit Risk Profile Based on Payment Activity

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Consumer - originated		Consumer - acquired		Consumer - covered		Total Consumer		Consumer - originated		Consumer - covered		Total Consumer
			(In thousands)								(In thousands)
Performing	$	1,070,756	$	385,423	$	146,219	$	1,602,398	$	1,001,774	$	141,145	$	1,142,919
Nonperforming		3,855		1,117		—		4,972		6,621		170		6,791
Total	$	1,074,611	$	386,540	$	146,219	$	1,607,370	$	1,008,395	$	141,315	$	1,149,710

All loans are reviewed periodically over the course of the year. Each Bank's portfolio of loan relationships aggregating $500,000 or more is reviewed every 12 to 18 months by the Bank's Loan Review staff with other loans also periodically reviewed.

Below are the definitions of the Company's internally assigned grades:

• Pass—loans properly approved, documented, collateralized, and performing which do not reflect an abnormal credit risk.

• Pass—Watch—Credits in this category are of sufficient risk to cause concern. This category is reserved for credits that display negative performance trends. The "Watch" grade should be regarded as a transition category.

• Special Mention—These credits exhibit some signs of "Watch", but to a greater magnitude. These credits constitute an undue and unwarranted credit risk, but not to the point of justifying a classification of "Substandard". They have weaknesses that, if not checked or corrected, weaken the asset or inadequately protect the bank.

• Substandard—These credits constitute an unacceptable risk to the bank. They have recognized established credit weaknesses that jeopardize the repayment of the debt. Repayment sources are marginal or unclear.

• Doubtful—A Doubtful credit has all of the weaknesses inherent in one classified "Substandard" with the added characteristic that weaknesses make collection in full highly questionable or improbable.

• Loss—Credits classified as Loss are considered uncollectable and should be charged off promptly once so classified.

• Performing—Loans on which payments of principal and interest are less than 90 days past due.

• Non-performing—A non-performing loan is a loan that is in default or close to being in default and there are good reasons to doubt that payments will be made in full. All loans rated as non-accrual are also non-performing.

The Company held $72.4 million and $21.9 million, respectively, in loans held for sale at December 31, 2011 and 2010. Of the $72.4 million at December 31, 2011, $10.8 million are problem commercial loans held for sale which are carried at estimated fair value. The remaining $61.6 million represents mortgage loans originated for sale, which are carried at the lower of cost or estimated fair value. Residential mortgage loans are originated on a best-efforts basis, whereby a commitment by a third party to purchase the loan has been received concurrent with the Banks' commitment to the borrower to originate the loan.

Changes during 2011 and 2010 in the carrying amount of covered and non-covered acquired loans and accretable yield are presented in the following table (in thousands):

	2011												2010
	Covered						Non-covered						Covered						Non-covered
	Carrying Amount of Loans			Accretable Yield			Carrying Amount of Loans			Accretable Yield			Carrying Amount of Loans			Accretable Yield			Carrying Amount of Loans		Accretable Yield
(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of period	$	809,459		$	107,638		$	—		$	—		$	913,063		$	159,932		$	—	$	—
Additions		—			—			535,489			132,136			—			—			—		—
Payments received, net		(193,432	)		—			(206,306	)		—			(155,898	)		—			—		—
Accretion		55,416			(55,416	)		10,269			(22,719	)		52,294			(52,294	)		—		—
Decrease in expected cash flows based on actual cash flow, loan sales and foreclosures assumptions		—			(18,930	)		—			(26,630	)		—			—			—		—
Net transfers from (to) nonaccretable difference to accretable yield		—			119,845			—			47,904			—			—			—		—
Balance at end of period	$	671,443		$	153,137		$	339,452		$	130,691		$	809,459		$	107,638		$	—	$	—

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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Abstract]

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Note 8. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration exchanged over the fair value of the net assets acquired in purchase business combinations. The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually and no impairment charges were identified in the most recent test as of September 30, 2011. No goodwill impairment charges were recognized during 2011, 2010, or 2009. The carrying amount of goodwill was $651.2 million and $61.6 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company recorded approximately $589 million of goodwill during 2011 in connection with its acquisition of Whitney.

Identifiable intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over the periods benefited and are evaluated for impairment similar to other long-lived assets. The identifiable assets recorded in connection with the Whitney acquisition during 2011 are detailed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements.

The carrying value of intangible assets subject to amortization was as follows (in thousands):

	December 31, 2011
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Carrying Amount
Core deposit intangibles	$	206,047	$	27,691	$	178,356
Credit card and trust relationships		22,400		1,908		20,492
Value of insurance business acquired		2,431		1,926		505
Non-compete agreements		322		322		—
Trade name		11,822		100		11,722
	$	243,022	$	31,947	$	211,075

	December 31, 2010
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Carrying Amount
Core deposit intangibles	$	25,747	$	13,218	$	12,529
Value of insurance business acquired		2,431		1,757		674
Non-compete agreements		322		322		—
Trade name		100		100		—
	$	28,600	$	15,397	$	13,203

		Gross Carrying		Gross Carrying		Gross Carrying
	Years Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Aggregate amortization expense for:
Core deposit intangibles	$	14,474	$	2,491	$	1,114
Credit card and trust relationships		1,908		—		—
Value of insurance business acquired		169		213		255
Non-compete agreements		—		14		28
Trade name		—		10		20
	$	16,551	$	2,728	$	1,417

The weighted-average remaining life of core deposit intangibles is 19 years. The weighted-average remaining life of other identifiable intangibles is 9 years.

The following table shows estimated amortization expense of other intangible assets for the five succeeding years and thereafter, calculated based on current amortization schedules (in thousands):

2012	$	31,561
2013		29,565
2014		24,969
2015		20,579
2016		18,834
Thereafter		85,567
	$	211,075

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Securities (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Amortized cost and fair value of securities
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	$ 4,401,345	$ 1,445,721
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Gains	98,561	51,701
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Losses	3,006	8,537
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	4,496,900	1,488,885
U.S. Treasury [Member]
Amortized cost and fair value of securities
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	150	10,797
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Gains	14	52
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	5
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	164	10,844
U.S. government agencies [Member]
Amortized cost and fair value of securities
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	248,595	106,054
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,308	971
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	434
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	249,903	106,591
Municipal obligations [Member]
Amortized cost and fair value of securities
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	294,489	181,747
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Gains	15,218	4,107
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Losses	42	5,411
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	309,665	180,443
Mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Amortized cost and fair value of securities
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	2,422,891	761,704
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Gains	58,150	38,032
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Losses	696	50
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	2,480,345	799,686
Collateralized mortgage obligations [Member]
Amortized cost and fair value of securities
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	1,426,495	367,662
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Gains	21,774	6,880
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Losses	2,193	2,491
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	1,446,076	372,051
Other debt securities [Member]
Amortized cost and fair value of securities
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	4,517	14,329
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Gains	11	999
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Losses	34	43
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	4,494	15,285
Other equity securities [Member]
Amortized cost and fair value of securities
Securities available for sale, Amortized Cost	4,208	3,428
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,086	660
Securities available for sale, Gross Unrealized Losses	41	103
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	$ 6,253	$ 3,985

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Condensed Parent Company Information (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
From subsidiaries
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 18,064	$ 9,705	$ 22,919
Net income	76,759	52,206	74,775
Hancock [Member]
From subsidiaries
Dividends received from bank subsidiaries	123,100	41,500	36,700
Dividends received from non-bank subsidiaries
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries greater than (less than) dividends received	(43,721)	10,471	38,161
Total operating income	79,379	51,971	74,861
Other (expense) income	(2,592)	342	(178)
Income tax expense (benefit)	28	107	(92)
Net income	$ 76,759	$ 52,206	$ 74,775

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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Textual) [Abstract]
Impairment charges	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Goodwill and other indefinite lived intangibles	651,162,000	61,631,000	62,277,000
Goodwill from Whitney acquisition at acquisition date	$ 513,917,000
Core deposit intangibles [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Textual) [Abstract]
Weighted-average remaining life of intangible assets	19
Other Identifiable Intangibles [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Textual) [Abstract]
Weighted-average remaining life of intangible assets	9

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Securities (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Available for sale securities unrealized losses
Available for sale securities, Losses less than 12 months, Fair Value	$ 530,697	$ 267,624
Available for sale securities, Losses Less than 12 months, Gross Unrealized Losses	3,000	6,116
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Fair value	339	21,680
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Gross Unrealized Losses	6	2,421
Available for sale securities, Total, Fair value	531,036	289,304
Available for sale securities, Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	3,006	8,537
U.S. Treasury [Member]
Available for sale securities unrealized losses
Available for sale securities, Losses less than 12 months, Fair Value	0	9,980
Available for sale securities, Losses Less than 12 months, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	5
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Fair value	0	0
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Available for sale securities, Total, Fair value	0	9,980
Available for sale securities, Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	5
U.S. government agencies [Member]
Available for sale securities unrealized losses
Available for sale securities, Losses less than 12 months, Fair Value	0	74,566
Available for sale securities, Losses Less than 12 months, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	434
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Fair value	0	0
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Available for sale securities, Total, Fair value	0	74,566
Available for sale securities, Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	434
Municipal obligations [Member]
Available for sale securities unrealized losses
Available for sale securities, Losses less than 12 months, Fair Value	18,854	57,713
Available for sale securities, Losses Less than 12 months, Gross Unrealized Losses	42	3,092
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Fair value	0	19,870
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	2,319
Available for sale securities, Total, Fair value	18,854	77,583
Available for sale securities, Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	42	5,411
Mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Available for sale securities unrealized losses
Available for sale securities, Losses less than 12 months, Fair Value	212,900	122
Available for sale securities, Losses Less than 12 months, Gross Unrealized Losses	692	1
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Fair value	337	1,340
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Gross Unrealized Losses	4	49
Available for sale securities, Total, Fair value	213,237	1,462
Available for sale securities, Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	696	50
Collateralized mortgage obligations [Member]
Available for sale securities unrealized losses
Available for sale securities, Losses less than 12 months, Fair Value	296,860	122,312
Available for sale securities, Losses Less than 12 months, Gross Unrealized Losses	2,193	2,491
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Fair value	0	0
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Available for sale securities, Total, Fair value	296,860	122,312
Available for sale securities, Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	2,193	2,491
Other debt securities [Member]
Available for sale securities unrealized losses
Available for sale securities, Losses less than 12 months, Fair Value	398	379
Available for sale securities, Losses Less than 12 months, Gross Unrealized Losses	34	6
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Fair value	0	459
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	37
Available for sale securities, Total, Fair value	398	838
Available for sale securities, Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	34	43
Equity securities [Member]
Available for sale securities unrealized losses
Available for sale securities, Losses less than 12 months, Fair Value	1,685	2,552
Available for sale securities, Losses Less than 12 months, Gross Unrealized Losses	39	87
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Fair value	2	11
Available for sale securities, Losses 12 months or longer, Gross Unrealized Losses	2	16
Available for sale securities, Total, Fair value	1,687	2,563
Available for sale securities, Total, Gross Unrealized Losses	$ 41	$ 103

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Stock-Based Payment Arrangements (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 years	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Stock-Based Payment Arrangements (Textual) [Abstract]
Shares available for future issuance under equity compensation plans	4,400,000
Performance measurement period, performance awards	1 year
Service vesting period, performance awards	2 years
Recognized stock-based compensation	$ 7.2	$ 4.1	$ 3.3
Recognized tax benefit related to the share-based compensation	1.4	0.7	0.8
Percentage where a option price is equal to market price	110.00%
Term of option award vest, contractual term	10 years
Term of option award vest for continuous service	5 years
Options expiration date in years	10 years
Options expiration date in months	6 months
Intrinsic value of options exercised	0.3	0.8	1.5
Unrecognized compensation cost	27.8
Weighted-average period in years	3.4
Total fair value of shares vested	$ 6.2	$ 5.9
Weighted-average grant-date fair values of options granted	$ 8.64	$ 10.73	$ 14.52
Number of option award to one class of recipients	1		1
Restricted Stock Awards [Member]
Stock-Based Payment Arrangements (Textual) [Abstract]
Options expiration date in years	5 years
2005 Long Term Incentive Plan [Member]
Stock-Based Payment Arrangements (Textual) [Abstract]
Number of common shares can be granted under long term incentive Plan	5,000,000
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, maximum annual grant available	2.00%

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Derivatives (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011
Derivatives (Textual) [Abstract]
Number of interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional amount	1
Notional amount of interest rate derivatives	$ 541,800,000
Derivative, net hedge ineffectiveness gain (loss)	0
Termination value of derivatives in a net liability position	12,200,000
Collateral obligations for derivative counterparties	11,600,000
Interest rate swap [Member]
Derivatives (Textual) [Abstract]
Notional amount of interest rate derivatives	$ 140,000,000

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Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	$ 224,585
Hancock Plan [Member]
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	71,640
Employer contributions	4,500	2,000	1,800
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	103,475	71,640
Hancock Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	101,746	89,720
Service cost	4,689	3,500	3,107
Service cost defined benefit plans		3,501
Interest cost	5,453	5,233	4,833
Actuarial loss	27,429	7,155
Benefits paid	(4,202)	(3,863)
Benefit obligation, end of year	135,115	101,746	89,720
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	71,640	61,313
Actual return on plan assets	1,375	7,718
Employer contributions	34,907	6,726
Benefit payments	(4,202)	(3,863)
Expenses	(245)	(254)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	103,475	71,640	61,313
Funded status at end of year-net liability	(31,640)	(30,106)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	38,810	36,753
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year	(2,343)	(2,281)	(2,648)
Net actuarial loss/(gain)	31,789	4,338	(1,089)
Unrecognized loss at end of year	68,256	38,810	36,753
Hancock Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	12,373	10,290
Service cost	137	124	114
Service cost defined benefit plans		125
Interest cost	611	556	565
Plan participants' contributions	346	310
Actuarial loss		2,098
Benefits paid	(1,108)	(1,006)
Benefit obligation, end of year	16,653	12,373	10,290
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	0	0
Employer contributions	763	696
Plan participants' contributions	346	310
Defined contributions by plan participants	345	310
Benefit payments	(1,108)	(1,006)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	0	0	0
Funded status at end of year-net liability	(16,653)	(12,373)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	5,546	3,701
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year	(538)	(302)	(296)
Benefit plan (loss)/gain amortization	(489)	(253)
Net actuarial loss/(gain)	4,294	2,098
Net actuarial loss/(gain) accumulated in other comprehensive income	4,294
Unrecognized loss at end of year	9,351	5,546	3,701
Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Postretirement [Member]
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	15,949
Service cost
Interest cost	480
Plan participants' contributions	523
Actuarial loss	1,645
Benefits paid	(1,143)
Benefit obligation, end of year	17,454
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	0
Employer contributions	620
Plan participants' contributions	523
Benefit payments	(1,143)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	0
Funded status at end of year-net liability	(17,454)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	0
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year
Net actuarial loss/(gain)	1,645
Unrecognized loss at end of year	1,645
Qualified [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	216,992
Service cost	3,751
Interest cost	6,664
Actuarial loss	40,542
Benefits paid	(3,556)
Benefit obligation, end of year	264,393
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	223,495
Actual return on plan assets	(5,354)
Employer contributions	10,000
Benefit payments	(3,556)
Expenses
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	224,585
Funded status at end of year-net liability	(39,808)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	0
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year
Net actuarial loss/(gain)	55,524
Unrecognized loss at end of year	55,524
Nonqualified [Member] | Whitney Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan-Pension [Member]
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	14,442
Service cost	27
Interest cost	438
Actuarial loss	1,597
Benefits paid	(570)
Benefit obligation, end of year	15,934
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	0
Actual return on plan assets
Employer contributions	570
Benefit payments	(570)
Expenses
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	0
Funded status at end of year-net liability	(15,934)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	0
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year
Net actuarial loss/(gain)	1,597
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$ 1,597

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Loans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Loans [Abstract]

Loans, net of unearned income

	December 31,
	2011		2010
	(In thousands)
Originated loans:
Commerical	$	1,525,409	$	1,046,431
Construction		540,806		495,590
Real estate		1,259,757		1,231,414
Residential mortgage loans		487,147		366,183
Consumer loans		1,074,611		1,008,395
Total originated loans	$	4,887,730	$	4,148,013
Acquired loans:
Commerical	$	2,236,758	$	—
Construction		603,371		—
Real estate		1,656,515		—
Residential mortgage loans		734,669		—
Consumer loans		386,540		—
Total acquired loans		5,617,853		—
Covered loans:
Commerical	$	38,063	$	35,190
Construction		118,828		157,267
Real estate		82,651		181,873
Residential mortgage loans		285,682		293,506
Consumer loans		146,219		141,315
Total covered loans	$	671,443	$	809,151
Total loans:
Commerical	$	3,800,230	$	1,081,621
Construction		1,263,005		652,857
Real estate		2,998,923		1,413,287
Residential mortgage loans		1,507,498		659,689
Consumer loans		1,607,370		1,149,710
Total loans	$	11,177,026	$	4,957,164

Allowance for loan losses by portfolio segment and related recorded investment in loans

	Commercial			Residential mortgages			Consumer			Total
(In thousands)	December 31, 2011
Allowance for loan losses:
Beginning balance	$	56,859		$	4,626		$	20,512		$	81,997
Charge-offs		(54,754	)		(2,634	)		(12,875	)		(70,263	)
Recoveries		20,006			1,091			3,887			24,984
Net provision for loan losses (a)		29,762			1,632			7,338			38,732
Increase in indemnification asset (a)		26,541			9,203			13,687			49,431
Ending balance	$	78,414		$	13,918		$	32,549		$	124,881
Ending balance:
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	6,988		$	551		$	—		$	7,539
Ending balance:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	$	71,426		$	13,367		$	32,549		$	117,342
Ending balance:
Covered loans with deteriorated credit quality	$	18,203		$	9,024		$	14,408		$	41,635
Loans:
Ending balance:	$	8,062,158		$	1,507,498		$	1,607,370		$	11,177,026
Ending balance:
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	28,034		$	4,090		$	—		$	32,124
Ending balance:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	$	7,794,582		$	1,217,726		$	1,461,151		$	10,473,459
Ending balance:
Covered loans	$	239,542		$	285,682		$	146,219		$	671,443
Ending balance:
Acquired loans (b)	$	4,496,644		$	734,669		$	386,540		$	5,617,853

(a) The Company increased the allowance by $51.7 million for losses related to impairment on certain pools of covered loans. This provision was mostly offset by a $48.8 million increase in the FDIC indemnification asset.

(b) Acquired loans were recorded at fair value with no allowance brought forward in accordance with acquisition accounting. There has been no allowance since acquisition.

	Commercial			Residential mortgages			Consumer			Total			Total
(In thousands)	December 31, 2010												2009
Allowance for loan losses:
Beginning balance	$	42,484		$	4,782		$	18,784		$	66,050		$	61,725
Charge-offs		(39,393	)		(4,615	)		(14,258	)		(58,266	)		(54,915	)
Recoveries		3,491			740			3,353			7,584			4,650
Net provision for loan losses (a)		50,277			3,719			11,995			65,991			54,590
Increase in indemnification asset (a)		—			—			638			638			—
Ending balance	$	56,859		$	4,626		$	20,512		$	81,997		$	66,050
Ending balance:
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	10,648		$	1,304		$	—		$	11,952		$	10,972
Ending balance:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	$	46,211		$	3,322		$	20,512		$	70,045		$	55,078
Ending balance:
Covered loans with deteriorated credit quality	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Loans:
Ending balance:	$	3,147,765		$	659,689		$	1,149,710		$	4,957,164		$	5,114,175
Ending balance:
Individually evaluated for impairment	$	56,836		$	5,618		$	—		$	62,454		$	78,005
Ending balance:
Collectively evaluated for impairment	$	2,716,598		$	360,566		$	1,008,395		$	4,085,559		$	4,085,740
Ending balance:
Covered loans	$	374,331		$	293,505		$	141,315		$	809,151		$	950,430

(a) The Company increased the allowance by $0.7 million for losses related to impairment on certain pools of covered loans. This provision was mostly offset by a $0.6 million increase in the FDIC indemnification asset.

Summary of composition of Non-Accrual Loans by portfolio segment

	December 31,		December 31,
	2011		2010
	(In thousands)
Originated loans:
Commercial Loans	$	55,046	$	50,379
Residential mortgage loans		24,406		18,699
Consumer loans		3,855		6,621
Total originated loans	$	83,307	$	75,699
Acquired loans:
Commercial Loans	$	—	$	—
Residential mortgage loans		—		—
Consumer loans		1,117		—
Total acquired loans	$	1,117	$	—
Covered loans:
Commercial Loans	$	18,209	$	41,917
Residential mortgage loans		637		3,199
Consumer loans		—		170
Total covered loans	$	18,846	$	45,286
Total loans:
Commercial Loans	$	73,255	$	92,296
Residential mortgage loans		25,043		21,898
Consumer loans		4,972		6,791
Total loans	$	103,270	$	120,985

Schedule of troubled debt restructurings occurred during the period by portfolio segment

	2011						2010
Troubled Debt Restructurings:	Number of Contracts		Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Number of Contracts		Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment		Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment
Total loans:
Commercial loans		24	$	20,040	$	16,954		7	$	12,408	$	11,603
Residential mortgage loans		3		1,206		1,191		2		1,177		1,038
Total loans		27	$	21,246	$	18,145		9	$	13,585	$	12,641

Troubled Debt Restructurings That Subsequently Defaulted:

	2011				2010
Troubled Debt Restructurings That Subsequently Defaulted:	Number of Contracts		Recorded Investment		Number of Contracts		Recorded Investment
Total loans:
Commercial loans		2	$	742		—	$	—
Total loans		2	$	742		—	$	—

Summary of impaired loans disaggregated by class

December 31, 2011	Recorded Investment		Unpaid Principal Balance		Related Allowance		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
					(In thousands)
Total loans:
With no related allowance recorded:
Commercial	$	28,051	$	46,692	$	—	$	18,461	$	359
Residential mortgages		1,582		2,802		—		2,934		58
Consumer		—		—		—		—		—
		29,633		49,494		—		21,395		417
With an allowance recorded:
Commercial		28,369		33,503		6,997		59,724		254
Residential mortgages		4,298		5,588		570		5,059		7
Consumer		—		—		—		—		—
		32,667		39,091		7,567		64,783		261
Total:
Commercial		56,420		80,195		6,997		78,185		613
Residential mortgages		5,880		8,390		570		7,993		65
Consumer		—		—		—		—		—
Total loans	$	62,300	$	88,585	$	7,567	$	86,178	$	678

December 31, 2010	Recorded Investment		Unpaid Principal Balance		Related Allowance		Average Recorded Investment		Interest Income Recognized
					(In thousands)
Total loans:
With no related allowance recorded:
Commercial	$	64,558	$	102,144	$	—	$	75,543	$	224
Residential mortgages		4,462		6,207		—		5,232		26
Consumer		170		170		—		184		—
		69,190		108,521		—		80,959		250
With an allowance recorded:
Commercial		34,194		40,244		10,648		36,650		523
Residential mortgages		4,355		4,873		1,304		4,358		88
Consumer		—		—		—		—		—
		38,549		45,117		11,952		41,008		611
Total:
Commercial		98,752		142,388		10,648		112,193		747
Residential mortgages		8,817		11,080		1,304		9,590		114
Consumer		170		170		—		184		—
Total loans	$	107,739	$	153,638	$	11,952	$	121,967	$	861

Summary of age analysis of past due loans

December 31, 2011	30-89 days past due		Greater than 90 days past due		Total past due		Current		Total Loans		Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing
					(In thousands)
Originated loans:
Commercial loans	$	24,939	$	58,867	$	83,806	$	3,242,166	$	3,325,972	$	3,821
Residential mortgages loans		22,248		25,400		47,648		439,499		487,147		994
Consumer loans		4,284		3,911		8,195		1,066,416		1,074,611		56
Total	$	51,471	$	88,178	$	139,649	$	4,748,081	$	4,887,730	$	4,871
Acquired loans:
Commercial loans	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	4,496,644	$	4,496,644	$	—
Residential mortgages loans		—		—		—		734,669		734,669		—
Consumer loans		2,128		2,126		4,254		382,286		386,540		1,009
Total	$	2,128	$	2,126	$	4,254	$	5,613,599	$	5,617,853	$	1,009
Covered loans:
Commercial loans	$	—	$	18,209	$	18,209	$	221,333	$	239,542	$	—
Residential mortgages loans		—		637		637		285,045		285,682		—
Consumer loans		—		—		—		146,219		146,219		—
Total	$	—	$	18,846	$	18,846	$	652,597	$	671,443	$	—
Total loans:
Commercial loans	$	24,939	$	77,076	$	102,015	$	7,960,143	$	8,062,158	$	3,821
Residential mortgages loans		22,248		26,037		48,285		1,459,213		1,507,498		994
Consumer loans		6,412		6,037		12,449		1,594,921		1,607,370		1,065
Total	$	53,599	$	109,150	$	162,749	$	11,014,277	$	11,177,026	$	5,880

December 31, 2010	30-89 days past due		Greater than 90 days past due		Total past due		Current		Total Loans		Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing
					(In thousands)
Originated loans:
Commercial loans	$	12,463	$	50,679	$	63,142	$	2,710,292	$	2,773,434	$	300
Residential mortgages loans		22,109		19,573		41,682		324,502		366,184		874
Consumer loans		6,499		6,939		13,438		994,957		1,008,395		318
Total	$	41,071	$	77,191	$	118,262	$	4,029,751	$	4,148,013	$	1,492
Acquired loans:
Commercial loans	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Residential mortgages loans		—		—		—		—		—		—
Consumer loans		—		—		—		—		—		—
Total	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Covered loans:
Commercial loans	$	—	$	41,917	$	41,917	$	332,414	$	374,331	$	—
Residential mortgages loans		—		3,199		3,199		290,306		293,505		—
Consumer loans		—		170		170		141,145		141,315		—
Total	$	—	$	45,286	$	45,286	$	763,865	$	809,151	$	—
Total loans:
Commercial loans	$	12,463	$	92,596	$	105,059	$	3,042,706	$	3,147,765	$	300
Residential mortgages loans		22,109		22,772		44,881		614,808		659,689		874
Consumer loans		6,499		7,109		13,608		1,136,102		1,149,710		318
Total	$	41,071	$	122,477	$	163,548	$	4,793,616	$	4,957,164	$	1,492

Schedule of credit quality indicators of various classes of loans

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Commercial - originated		Commercial - acquired		Commercial - covered		Total commercial		Commercial - originated		Commercial - covered		Total commercial
			(In thousands)								(In thousands)
Grade:
Pass	$	3,110,746	$	3,882,817	$	16,843	$	7,010,406	$	2,332,952	$	45,609	$	2,378,561
Pass-Watch		76,393		60,042		13,606		150,041		138,839		35,289		174,128
Special Mention		35,155		125,852		9,368		170,375		26,216		21,031		47,247
Substandard		103,254		426,003		124,371		653,628		265,180		254,033		519,213
Doubtful		424		1,930		75,242		77,596		10,247		18,369		28,616
Loss		—		—		112		112		—		—		—
Total	$	3,325,972	$	4,496,644	$	239,542	$	8,062,158	$	2,773,434	$	374,331	$	3,147,765

Schedule of credit risk profile by internally assigned grade

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Residential mortgages - originated		Residential mortgages - acquired		Residential mortgages  - covered		Total residential mortgages		Residential mortgages - originated		Residential mortgages - covered		Total residential mortgages
			(In thousands)								(In thousands)
Grade:
Pass	$	460,261	$	673,751	$	120,180	$	1,254,192	$	284,712	$	159,885	$	444,597
Pass-Watch		7,499		1,773		18,133		27,405		7,857		29,673		37,530
Special Mention		542		9,686		3,286		13,514		—		15,220		15,220
Substandard		18,845		48,581		139,643		207,069		73,615		87,636		161,251
Doubtful		—		878		4,440		5,318		—		1,091		1,091
Loss		—		—		—		—		—		—		—
Total	$	487,147	$	734,669	$	285,682	$	1,507,498	$	366,184	$	293,505	$	659,689

Credit risk profile based on payment activity

	December 31, 2011								December 31, 2010
	Consumer - originated		Consumer - acquired		Consumer - covered		Total Consumer		Consumer - originated		Consumer - covered		Total Consumer
			(In thousands)								(In thousands)
Performing	$	1,070,756	$	385,423	$	146,219	$	1,602,398	$	1,001,774	$	141,145	$	1,142,919
Nonperforming		3,855		1,117		—		4,972		6,621		170		6,791
Total	$	1,074,611	$	386,540	$	146,219	$	1,607,370	$	1,008,395	$	141,315	$	1,149,710

Changes in the carrying amount of covered acquired loans and accretable yield for loans receivable

	2011												2010
	Covered						Non-covered						Covered						Non-covered
	Carrying Amount of Loans			Accretable Yield			Carrying Amount of Loans			Accretable Yield			Carrying Amount of Loans			Accretable Yield			Carrying Amount of Loans		Accretable Yield
(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of period	$	809,459		$	107,638		$	—		$	—		$	913,063		$	159,932		$	—	$	—
Additions		—			—			535,489			132,136			—			—			—		—
Payments received, net		(193,432	)		—			(206,306	)		—			(155,898	)		—			—		—
Accretion		55,416			(55,416	)		10,269			(22,719	)		52,294			(52,294	)		—		—
Decrease in expected cash flows based on actual cash flow, loan sales and foreclosures assumptions		—			(18,930	)		—			(26,630	)		—			—			—		—
Net transfers from (to) nonaccretable difference to accretable yield		—			119,845			—			47,904			—			—			—		—
Balance at end of period	$	671,443		$	153,137		$	339,452		$	130,691		$	809,459		$	107,638		$	—	$	—

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Acquisitions (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 04, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Sep. 30, 2011 Prior [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Prior [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Restated [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Restated [Member]
Restatement of interim periods for subsequent acquisition date adjustments
Goodwill	$ 651,162		$ 61,631	$ 62,277	$ 513,917	$ 513,917	$ 589,531	$ 589,531
Other intangible assets		$ 224,000			$ 206,424	$ 222,621	$ 218,146	$ 234,343

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Stock-Based Payment Arrangements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stock-Based Payment Arrangements [Abstract]

Stock-Based Payment Arrangements

Note 13. Stock-Based Payment Arrangements

Hancock maintains an incentive compensation plan that incorporates stock-based payment arrangements for employees and directors. The most recent plan was approved by the Company's stockholders in 2005 (the "Plan"). The Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors administers the Plan, makes determinations with respect to participation by employees or directors and authorizes stock-based awards under the plan. Under the Plan, participants may be awarded stock options (including incentive stock options for employees), restricted shares, performance stock awards and stock appreciation rights, all on a stand-alone, combination or tandem basis. To date, the Committee has awarded stock options, tenure-based restricted shares and performance stock awards.

The Plan authorizes the issuance of an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock pursuant to awards under the Plan. The Plan limits the number of shares for which awards may be granted during any calendar year to 2% of the outstanding common stock reported at the end of the previous fiscal year, plus any unused portion of the annual limit for the prior year and subject to certain other adjustments. At December 31, 2011 there were 4.4 million shares available for future issuance under equity compensation plans. Whitney options converted at the acquisition date do not count against the number of shares available for future issuance. The awards available for issuance cover outstanding unvested and unexercised awards as well as future awards. The Company may use authorized unissued shares or shares held in treasury to satisfy awards under the Plan.

Restricted stock awards issued under the Plan generally vest at the end of five years of continuous service from the grant date. The fair value of each performance stock award is estimated on the grant date's prior closing price using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. The performance awards issued during the annual grant have a one year performance measurement period followed by a two year service vesting period. The target shares issued are the maximum potential shares to be awarded.

For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 total stock-based compensation recognized in income was $7.2 million, $4.1 million and $3.3 million respectively. The total recognized tax benefit related to the stock-based compensation was $1.4 million, $0.7 million and $0.8 million, respectively, for 2011, 2010 and 2009.

A summary of option activity for 2011 is presented below:

Options	Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Exercise Price ($)		Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
Outstanding at January 1, 2011		1,129,520		$	35.08
Whitney options converted at acquisition date		775,261		$	62.64
Granted		200,601		$	29.97
Exercised		(21,919	)	$	18.14
Forfeited or expired		(396,556	)	$	61.83
Outstanding at December 31, 2011		1,686,907		$	41.05		5.2	$	1,642
Exercisable at December 31, 2011		1,183,667		$	44.25		3.6	$	1,241

The exercise price is equal to the closing market price on the date immediately preceding the date of grant, except for certain of those granted to major stockholders where the option price is 110% of the market price. Option awards generally vest equally over five years of continuous service and have ten-year contractual terms. The fair value of each option award is estimated using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model.

Whitney's stock options outstanding at the acquisition date were assumed by Hancock, as adjusted for the share exchange ratio specified in the merger agreement. These options will expire at the earlier of (1) their expiration date (which is generally ten years after the grant date), except for grants made in 2005 that expired six months following the merger, or (2) a date following termination of employment, as set forth in the prior grant plan document.

The total intrinsic value of options exercised during 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $0.3 million, $0.8 million, and $1.5 million, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company's nonvested shares as of December 31, 2011, and changes during 2011, is presented below:

	Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2011		855,873		$	23.76
Granted		827,656		$	26.06
Vested		(194,452	)	$	18.41
Forfeited		(28,101	)	$	27.41
Nonvested at December 31, 2011		1,460,976		$	25.70

As of December 31, 2011, there was $27.8 million of total unrecognized compensation related to nonvested restricted shares. This compensation is expected to be recognized in expense over a weighted-average period of 3.4 years. The total fair value of shares which vested during 2011 and 2010 was $6.2 million and $5.9 million, respectively. 

The weighted-average grant-date fair values of options awarded during 2011, 2010 and 2009 were $8.64, $10.73, and $14.52, respectively. The fair value of each option award was estimated as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model. The significant assumptions made in applying the option-pricing model are noted in the following table. Expected volatilities are based on implied volatilities from traded options on the Company's stock, historical volatility of the Company's stock and other factors. The expected term of options granted was derived from the output of the option valuation model and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option was based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant.

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011*	2010	2009*
Expected volatility	38.90%	40.53%	40.45%
Expected dividends	3.20%	2.9%-2.99%	2.49%
Expected term (in years)	6.38	9.55	8.7
Risk-free rates	1.99%	2.73%-3.33%	3.28%

* During 2011 and 2009, there was only one option award to one class of recipients.

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Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Numerator:
Net income to common shareholders	$ 76,759	$ 52,206	$ 74,775
Net income allocated to participating securities - basic and diluted	866	320	247
Net income allocated to common shareholders-basic and diluted	$ 75,893	$ 51,886	$ 74,528
Denominator:
Weighted-average common shares-basic	65,590	36,876	32,747
Dilutive potential common shares	480	178	187
Weighted average common shares-diluted	66,070	37,054	32,934
Earnings per common share: Basic	$ 1.16	$ 1.41	$ 2.28
Earnings per common share: Diluted	$ 1.15	$ 1.40	$ 2.26

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Earnings Per Share

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share

Note 18. Earnings Per Share

Hancock calculates earnings per share using the two-class method. The two-class method allocates net income to each class of common stock and participating security according to common dividends declared and participation rights in undistributed earnings. Participating securities consist of unvested stock-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents.

A summary of the information used in the computation of earnings per common share follows (in thousands, except per share data):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Numerator:
Net income to common shareholders	$	76,759	$	52,206	$	74,775
Net income allocated to participating securities — basic and diluted		866		320		247
Net income allocated to common shareholders—basic and diluted	$	75,893	$	51,886	$	74,528
Denominator:
Weighted-average common shares—basic		65,590		36,876		32,747
Dilutive potential common shares		480		178		187
Weighted average common shares—diluted		66,070		37,054		32,934
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	1.16	$	1.41	$	2.28
Diluted	$	1.15	$	1.40	$	2.26

Potential common shares consist of employee and director stock options. These potential common shares do not enter into the calculation of diluted earnings per share if the impact would be anti-dilutive, i.e., increase earnings per share or reduce a loss per share. Weighted-average anti-dilutive potential common shares totalled 680,611, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011. There were no anti-dilutive potential common shares in 2010 or 2009.

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Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	$ 224,585
Equity securities-large cap [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	72,607
Equity securities-small cap [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	44,191
Corporate debt securities [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	33,319
U.S. government and agency secutities and other [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	44,017
Cash and equivalents [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	12,189
Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	18,262
Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	162,281
Level 1 [Member] | Equity securities-large cap [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	72,607
Level 1 [Member] | Equity securities-small cap [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	44,191
Level 1 [Member] | U.S. government and agency secutities and other [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	15,032
Level 1 [Member] | Cash and equivalents [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	12,189
Level 1 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	18,262
Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	62,304
Level 2 [Member] | Corporate debt securities [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	33,319
Level 2 [Member] | U.S. government and agency secutities and other [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	28,985
Hancock Plan [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	103,475	71,640
Hancock Plan [Member] | Hancock Horizon Government Money Market Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	28,081	2,573
Hancock Plan [Member] | Hancock Horizon Strategic Income Bond Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	29,895	25,974
Hancock Plan [Member] | Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/ Short Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	3,674	3,525
Hancock Plan [Member] | Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	6,266	6,277
Hancock Plan [Member] | Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	2,414	2,264
Hancock Plan [Member] | Hancock Horizon Growth Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	13,403	12,392
Hancock Plan [Member] | Hancock Horizon Value Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	19,742	18,635
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	103,475	71,640
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Government Money Market Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	28,081	2,573
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Strategic Income Bond Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	29,895	25,974
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/ Short Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	3,674	3,525
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	6,266	6,277
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	2,414	2,264
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Growth Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	13,403	12,392
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Value Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	19,742	18,635
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Government Money Market Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Strategic Income Bond Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/ Short Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Growth Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Value Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Government Money Market Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Strategic Income Bond Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/ Short Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Growth Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Hancock Plan [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Hancock Horizon Value Fund [Member]
Fair Value of the Whitney Pension Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets	$ 0	$ 0

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Textual) [Abstract]
Number of wholly-owned bank subsidiaries	2
Maximum refinement period of fair values after closing date of an acquisition	1 year
Number of days when loans deemed to be uncollectible and charged off	90 days
Specific reserve balances to include all commercial, commercial real estate and substandard mortgage loans	$500,000 or greater
Number of groups in which retail loans are subdivided	3
Minimum period for which historical loss rate is calculated for each group	12 quarters
Period of average loss rate determined	3 years
Number of defined benefit postretirement plans	2
Minimum percentage required to be called more-likely-than-not threshold	50.00%
Building [Member]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Textual) [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives of the assets	39 years
Furniture, fixtures and equipment [Member]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Textual) [Abstract]
Minimum estimated useful lives of the assets	3
Maximum estimated useful lives of the assets	7
Software [Member]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Textual) [Abstract]
Amortization expense charged off period	3 years
Property and Equipment [Member]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Textual) [Abstract]
Impairment loss	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Financial assets:
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	$ 4,496,900	$ 1,488,885
Loans, net	11,052,145	4,875,167
Loans held for sale	72,378	21,866
Financial liabilities:
Deposits	15,713,579	6,775,719
FHLB borrowings	0	10,172
Long-term notes	353,890	376
Carrying Amount [Member]
Financial assets:
Cash, interest-bearing deposits, federal funds sold, and short-term investments	1,622,366	778,851
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	4,496,900	1,488,885
Loans, net	11,052,144	4,875,167
Loans held for sale	72,378	21,866
Accrued interest receivable	53,973	30,157
Derivative financial instruments - assets	14,952	2,952
Financial liabilities:
Deposits	15,713,579	6,775,719
Federal funds purchased	16,819	0
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase	1,027,635	364,676
FHLB borrowings	0	10,172
Long-term notes	353,890	376
Accrued interest payable	8,284	4,007
Derivative financial instruments - liabilities	15,643	2,952
Fair Value [Member]
Financial assets:
Cash, interest-bearing deposits, federal funds sold, and short-term investments	1,622,366	778,851
Securities available for sale, Fair Value	4,496,900	1,488,885
Loans, net	11,189,662	5,085,925
Loans held for sale	72,378	21,866
Accrued interest receivable	53,973	30,157
Derivative financial instruments - assets	14,952	2,952
Financial liabilities:
Deposits	15,737,667	6,787,931
Federal funds purchased	16,819	0
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase	1,027,635	364,676
FHLB borrowings	0	10,172
Long-term notes	365,421	376
Accrued interest payable	8,284	4,007
Derivative financial instruments - liabilities	$ 15,643	$ 2,952

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Stock-Based Payment Arrangements (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stock-Based Payment Arrangements [Abstract]

Schedule of option activity under stock option plans

Options	Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Exercise Price ($)		Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
Outstanding at January 1, 2011		1,129,520		$	35.08
Whitney options converted at acquisition date		775,261		$	62.64
Granted		200,601		$	29.97
Exercised		(21,919	)	$	18.14
Forfeited or expired		(396,556	)	$	61.83
Outstanding at December 31, 2011		1,686,907		$	41.05		5.2	$	1,642
Exercisable at December 31, 2011		1,183,667		$	44.25		3.6	$	1,241

Schedule of nonvested shares

	Number of Shares			Weighted- Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2011		855,873		$	23.76
Granted		827,656		$	26.06
Vested		(194,452	)	$	18.41
Forfeited		(28,101	)	$	27.41
Nonvested at December 31, 2011		1,460,976		$	25.70

Stock options, valuation assumption

	2011*	2010	2009*
Expected volatility	38.90%	40.53%	40.45%
Expected dividends	3.20%	2.9%-2.99%	2.49%
Expected term (in years)	6.38	9.55	8.7
Risk-free rates	1.99%	2.73%-3.33%	3.28%

* During 2011 and 2009, there was only one option award to one class of recipients.

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Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Commitments to extend credit [Member]
Summary of the obligations
Lending related obligations	$ 4,189,421	$ 912,206
Letters of credit [Member]
Summary of the obligations
Lending related obligations	$ 441,048	$ 87,038

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Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Common Stock	Capital Surplus	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss)/Gain, net	Total
Balance at Dec. 31, 2008	$ 105,793	$ 101,210	$ 411,579	$ (9,083)	$ 609,499
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2008	31,769,679
Comprehensive income
Net income			74,775		74,775
Net change from retirement benefit plans, net of tax				1,473	1,473
Unrealized net holding gain (or loss) on securities, net of reclassifications and tax				10,608	10,608
Comprehensive income					86,856
Cash dividends declared ($0.96 per common share)			(32,011)		(32,011)
Common stock activity, long-term incentive plan, including excess income tax benefit, shares	125,774
Common stock activity, long-term incentive plan, including excess income tax benefit	419	5,528			5,947
Common stock issued, shares	4,945,000
Common stock issued	16,467	150,905			167,372
Balance at Dec. 31, 2009	122,679	257,643	454,343	2,998	837,663
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2009	36,840,453
Comprehensive income
Net income			52,206		52,206
Net change from retirement benefit plans, net of tax				(2,463)	(2,463)
Unrealized net holding gain (or loss) on securities, net of reclassifications and tax				(1,154)	(1,154)
Comprehensive income					48,589
Cash dividends declared ($0.96 per common share)			(35,721)		(35,721)
Common stock activity, long-term incentive plan, including excess income tax benefit, shares	52,823
Common stock activity, long-term incentive plan, including excess income tax benefit	176	5,841			6,017
Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	122,855	263,484	470,828	(619)	856,548
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2010	36,893,276
Comprehensive income
Net income			76,759		76,759
Net change from retirement benefit plans, net of tax				(59,072)	(59,072)
Unrealized net holding gain (or loss) on securities, net of reclassifications and tax				33,246	33,246
Net unrealized gains on derivatives and hedging activities, net of reclassification				(65)	(65)
Comprehensive income					50,868
Cash dividends declared ($0.96 per common share)			(70,617)		(70,617)
Common stock issued in stock offering, shares	6,958,143
Common stock issued in stock offering	23,170	190,824			213,994
Common stock issued in business combination, shares	40,794,261
Common stock issued in business combination	135,845	1,172,199			1,308,044
Common stock activity, long-term incentive plan, including excess income tax benefit, shares	59,816
Common stock activity, long-term incentive plan, including excess income tax benefit	199	8,127			8,326
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	$ 282,069	$ 1,634,634	$ 476,970	$ (26,510)	$ 2,367,163
Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2011	84,705,496

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Borrowings (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Federal funds purchased [Member]
Short-term borrowings
Amount outstanding at period-end	$ 16,819	$ 0
Weighted average interest rate at period-end	0.19%	0.00%
Weighted average interest rate during the year	0.18%	0.13%
Average daily balance during the year	12,911	2,734
Maximum month end balance during the year	26,666	6,900
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase [Member]
Short-term borrowings
Amount outstanding at period-end	1,027,635	364,676
Weighted average interest rate at period-end	0.65%	1.69%
Weighted average interest rate during the year	1.03%	1.95%
Average daily balance during the year	681,474	477,174
Maximum month end balance during the year	1,027,635	534,627
FHLB borrowings [Member]
Short-term borrowings
Amount outstanding at period-end	0	10,172
Weighted average interest rate at period-end	0.00%	1.19%
Weighted average interest rate during the year	0.15%	0.57%
Average daily balance during the year	81,673	22,846
Maximum month end balance during the year	$ 10,153	$ 30,676

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Acquisitions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Acquisitions [Abstract]

Acquisitions

Note 2. Acquisitions

Whitney Holding Corporation

On June 4, 2011, Hancock acquired all of the outstanding common stock of Whitney Holding Corporation (Whitney), a bank holding company based in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a stock and cash transaction. Whitney common shareholders received 0.418 shares of Hancock common stock in exchange for each share of Whitney stock, resulting in Hancock issuing 40,794,261 common shares at a fair value of $1.3 billion. Whitney's preferred stock and common stock warrant issued under TARP were purchased by the Company for $307.7 million and retired as part of the merger transaction. In total, the purchase price was approximately $1.6 billion including the value of the options to purchase common stock assumed in the merger. On September 16, 2011, seven Whitney Bank branches located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and one branch located in Bogalusa, LA with approximately $47 million in loans and $180 million in deposits were divested in order to resolve branch concentration concerns of the U.S. Department of Justice relating to the merger.

The Whitney transaction was accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and, accordingly, assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration exchanged were recorded at estimated fair value on the acquisition date. Fair values are preliminary and subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of the acquisition. Assets acquired, excluding goodwill, totaled $11.2 billion, including $6.5 billion in loans, $2.6 billion of investment securities, and $224 million of identifiable intangible assets. Liabilities assumed were $10.1 billion, including $9.2 billion of deposits.

Goodwill of $589 million was calculated as the excess of the consideration exchanged over the net identifiable assets acquired.

The following table provides the assets purchased, the liabilities assumed and the consideration transferred:

Preliminary Statement of Net Assets Acquired (at fair value) and Consideration  Transferred (in millions except per share)
	Fair value of net assets acquired at date of acquisition June 4, 2011		Subsequent acquisition-date adjustments			As recorded by HHC December 31, 2011
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	957	$	—		$	957
Loans held for sale		57		—			57
Securities		2,635		1			2,636
Loans and leases		6,456		(9	)		6,447
Property and equipment		284		(21	)		263
Other intangible assets (1)		266		(42	)		224
Other assets		580		(7	)		573
Total identifiable assets		11,235		(78	)		11,157
LIABILITIES
Deposits		9,182		—			9,182
Borrowings		776		—			776
Other liabilities		175		(3	)		172
Total liabilities		10,133		(3	)		10,130
Net identifiable assets acquired		1,102		(75	)		1,027
Goodwill (2)		514		75			589
Net assets acquired	$	1,616		—		$	1,616
CONSIDERATION:
Hancock Holding Company common shares issued		41
Purchase price per share of the Company's common stock (3)		32.04
Company common stock issued and cash exchanged for fractional shares	$	1,307
Stock options converted		1
Cash paid for TARP preferred stock and warrants		308
Fair value of total consideration transferred	$	1,616

(1) Intangible assets consists of core deposit intangible of $189.4 million, trade name of $11.7 million, trust relationships of $11.1 million, and credit card relationships of $11.3 million.

The amortization life is 12—20 years for the CDI intangible asset; 15 years for credit card relationships, 12 years for trust and 2.5 years for tradename intangible asset.

They will be amortized on an accelerated basis.

(2) No goodwill is expected to be deductible for federal income tax purposes. The goodwill will be primarily allocated to the Whitney Bank segment.

(3) The value of the shares of common stock exchanged with Whitney shareholders was based upon the closing price of the Company's common stock at June 3, 2011, the last traded day prior to the date of acquisition.

The following table (in thousands) provides a restatement of interim periods for the more significant subsequent purchase accounting fair value adjustments to the acquisition date valuations:

	June 30, 2011 Prior		June 30, 2011 Restated		September 30, 2011 Prior		September 30, 2011 Restated
Goodwill	$	513,917	$	589,531	$	513,917	$	589,531
Intangible assets		222,621		234,343		206,424		218,146

The following table (in thousands) provides a reconciliation of goodwill:

Goodwill balance at December 31, 2010	$	61,631
Additions:
Goodwill from Whitney acquistion at acquisition date		513,917
Purchase accounting fair value adjustments subsequent to acquisition date made during the fourth quarter of 2011		75,614
Goodwill balance at December 31, 2011	$	651,162

The operating results of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2011 include the results from the operations acquired in the Whitney transaction since June 4, 2011. Whitney's operations contributed approximately $232.5 million in revenue, net of interest expense, and an estimated $35.8 million in net income for the period from the acquisition date.

Merger-related charges of $86.8 million associated with the Whitney acquisition are included in noninterest expense for 2011. Such expenses were for professional services and other incremental costs associated with the conversion of systems and integration of operations, costs related to branch and office consolidations, costs related to termination of existing contractual arrangements for various services, marketing and promotion expenses, and retention and severance and incentive compensation costs. The following table provides a breakdown (in thousands) of merger expenses by category:

	Year Ended December 31, 2011
Personnel expense	$	13,960
Equipment expense		552
Data processing expense		3,163
Net occupancy expense		330
Postage and communications		897
Professional services expense		40,902
Printing and supplies		568
Advertising		5,958
Insurance expense		3,177
Other expense		17,255
Total merger-related expenses	$	86,762

The following unaudited pro forma information presents the results of operations for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, as if the acquisition had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented. These adjustments include the impact of certain purchase accounting adjustments such as intangible assets amortization, fixed assets depreciation and elimination of Whitney's provision. In addition, the $86.8 million in merger expenses discussed above are included in each year. Any additional future operating cost savings and other synergies the Company anticipates as a result of the acquisition are not reflected in the pro forma amounts. These unaudited pro forma results are presented for illustrative purposes and are not intended to represent or be indicative of the actual results of operations of the combined company that would have been achieved had the acquisition occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented, nor are they intended to represent or be indicative of future results of operations.

	Twelve Months Ended
	December 31, 2011		December 31, 2010
(In millions)
Total revenues , net of interest expense	$	979	$	983
Net Income	$	124	$	94

In many cases, determining the fair value of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities required the Company to estimate future cash flows associated with those assets and liabilities and to discount those cash flows at appropriate rates of interest. The most significant estimates related to the valuation of acquired loans. For such loans, the excess of cash flows expected to be collected as of the acquisition date over the estimated fair value is recognized as interest income over the remaining lives of the loans. The difference between contractually required payments at acquisition date and the expected cash flows at acquisition reflects the impact of estimated credit losses and other factors, such as prepayments. In accordance with GAAP, there was no carry-over of Whitney's previously established allowance for credit losses.

The acquired loans were divided into loans with evidence of credit quality deterioration (acquired impaired) and loans that do not meet this criteria (acquired performing). In addition, the loans were further categorized into different loan pools by loan types. The Company determined expected cash flows on the acquired loans based on the best available information at the date of acquisition. If new information is obtained about circumstances as of the acquisition date that impact cash flows, management will revise the related purchase accounting adjustments in accordance with accounting for business combinations.

Loans at the acquisition date of June 4, 2011 are presented in the following table.

	Acquired Impaired		Acquired Performing		Total Acquired Loans
	(In thousands)
Commercial non-real estate	$	128,813	$	2,414,002	$	2,542,815
Commercial real estate owner-occupied		91,885		856,583		948,468
Construction and land development		159,438		564,795		724,233
Commercial real estate non-owner occupied		86,573		839,258		925,831
Total commercial/real estate		466,709		4,674,638		5,141,347
Residential mortgage		68,780		818,152		886,932
Consumer		—		418,563		418,563
Total	$	535,489	$	5,911,353	$	6,446,842

The following table presents information about the acquired impaired loans at acquisition (in thousands).

Contractually required principal and interest payments	$	880,612
Nonaccretable difference		212,987
Cash flows expected to be collected		667,625
Accretable difference		132,136
Fair value of loans acquired with a deterioration of credit quality	$	535,489

The fair value of the acquired performing loans at June 4, 2011, was $5.9 billion. The gross contractually required principal and interest payments receivable for acquired performing loans was $6.8 billion.

The fair value of net assets acquired includes certain contingent liabilities that were recorded as of the acquisition date. Whitney has been named as a defendant in various pending legal actions and proceedings arising in connection with its activities as a financial services institution. Some of these legal actions and proceedings include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. Whitney is also involved in investigations and/or proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory agencies. Due to the number of variables and assumptions involved in assessing the possible outcome of these legal actions, sufficient information did not exist to reasonably estimate the fair value of these contingent liabilities. As such, these contingences have been measured in accordance with accounting guidance on contingencies which states that a loss is recognized when it is probable of occurring and the loss amount can be reasonably estimated.

In connection with the Whitney acquisition, on June 4, 2011, the Company recorded a liability for contingent payments to certain employees for arrangements that were in existence prior to acquisition. The fair value of this liability was $58.0 million. The Company also recorded a liability with a fair value of $14.0 million for a contractual contingency assumed in connection with Whitney's obligations under contracts for a systems conversion and replacement initiative. This initiative was suspended in anticipation of the acquisition. Substantially all of these liabilities are expected to be paid within one year from acquisition date.

Peoples First Community Bank

On December 18, 2009, the Company entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), as receiver for Peoples First Community Bank (Peoples First) based in Panama City, Florida. According to terms of the agreement, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets of Peoples First and all deposits and borrowings. There was no consideration paid for the acquisition. Peoples First operated 29 branches in Florida with assets totaling approximately $1.7 billion and approximately 437 employees.

The loans purchased are covered by loss share agreements between the FDIC and the Company, which affords the Company significant loss protection. Under the loss share agreement, the FDIC will cover 80% of covered loan losses up to $385 million and 95% of losses in excess of that amount. The term for loss sharing on residential real estate loans is ten years. The term for loss sharing on non-residential real estate loans and other loans is five years. The reimbursable losses from the FDIC are based on the book value of the relevant loan as determined by the FDIC at the date of the transaction.

New loans made after the purchase date are not covered by the loss share agreements. The loss sharing agreements are subject to our compliance with servicing procedures specified in the agreements with the FDIC. The Company recorded an estimated receivable from the FDIC at the acquisition date of $325.6 million which represents the fair value of the FDIC's portion of the losses that are expected to be incurred and reimbursed to the Company. The outstanding receivable balance at December 31, 2011 and 2010 was $212.9 million and $329.1 million, respectively.

The acquisition was accounted for under the purchase method of accounting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles regarding acquisitions. The purchased assets and assumed liabilities were recorded at their respective acquisition date fair values. A net acquisition bargain purchase gain of $20.7 million ($33.6 million pretax) resulted from the acquisition and is included as a component of noninterest income on the statement of income. The amount of the gain is equal to the amount by which the fair value of assets purchased exceeded the fair value of liabilities assumed.

The statement of net assets acquired as of December 18, 2009 and the resulting gain are presented in the following table.

	As Recorded by Peoples First Community Bank		Fair Value Adjustments			As Recorded by Hancock
	(In thousands)
Assets
Cash	$	98,068	$	302,208	(a)	$	400,276
Securities		16,149		—			16,149
Loans		1,461,541		(511,111	) (b)		950,430
Property and equipment		8		—			8
Core deposit intangible		—		11,610	(c)		11,610
FIDC loss share receivable		—		325,606	(d)		325,606
Other assets		13,000		(1,813	) (e)		11,187
Total assets acquired	$	1,588,766	$	126,500		$	1,715,266
Liabilities
Deposits	$	1,552,454	$	10,483	(f)	$	1,562,937
FHLB advances		115,500		804	(g)		116,304
Other liabilities		2,402		12,891	(h)		15,293
Total liabilitites acquired	$	1,670,356	$	24,178		$	1,694,534
Net assets acquired "bargain purchase" gain						$	20,732

Explanation of Fair Value Adjustments

(a) Adjustment is for cash received from the FDIC for first losses.

(b) This estimated adjustment is necessary as of the acquisition date to write down People's First book value of loans to the estimated fair value as a result of future loan losses.

(c) This fair value adjustment represents the value of the core deposit base assumed in the acquisition based on a study performed by an independent valuation firm. This amount was recorded by the Company as an identifiable asset and will be amortized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the average life of the core deposit base, which is estimated to be 10 years.

(d) This adjustment is the estimated fair value of the amount that the Company will receive from the FDIC under its loss sharing agreement as a result of future loan losses.

(e) These are adjustments made to acquired assets to reflect fair value primarily for a write-down of an investment in a subsidiary and accrued interest receivable for loans that should have been placed on non-accrual prior to the acquisition.

(f) This fair value adjustment was recorded because the weighted average interest rate of People's First time deposits exceeded the cost of similar wholesale funding at the time of the acquisition. This amount will be amortized to reduce interest expense on a declining basis over the average life of the portifolio of approximately 7 months.

(g) The fair value adjustment was recorded because the interest rates of People's fixed rate borrowings exceeded the current interest rates on similar borrowings. This amount will be amortized to interest expense over terms of the borrowings.

(h) This adjustment is for the tax effect of the merger.

The Company expensed merger-related charges of $3.2 million in 2010 and $3.7 million in 2009. These charges represent costs associated with severance and employee related charges, systems integrations, and other merger-related charges.

	Years Ended December 31,
	2010		2009
Personnel expense	$	27	$	1,760
Equipment expense		57		—
Data processing expense		944		6
Net occupancy expense		4		118
Postage and communications		60		1
Professional services expense		1,263		1,283
Printing and supplies		194		12
Advertising		113		408
Insurance expense		—		—
Other expense		505		94
Total merger-related expenses	$	3,167	$	3,682

Due primarily to the significant amount of fair value adjustments and the FDIC loss sharing agreements now in place, historical results of Peoples First are not believed to be relevant to the Company's results, and thus no pro forma information is presented.

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Acquisitions (Details Textual) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011 years	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Jun. 04, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011 Common Stock	Jun. 04, 2011 Common Stock	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade name [Member] years	Jun. 04, 2011 Trade name [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trust [Member] years	Jun. 04, 2011 Trust preferred securities subject to mandatory redemption [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit card receivables [Member] years	Jun. 04, 2011 Credit card receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Core deposit intangibles [Member] years	Dec. 31, 2011 Mississippi Gulf Coast [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Bogalusa La [Member]	Sep. 16, 2011 Whitney Bank Divested Branches [Member]	Dec. 18, 2009 As Recorded by Peoples First Community Bank [Member] employees	Dec. 31, 2011 Whitney [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Peoples First Community Bank [Member]
Acquisitions (Textual) [Abstract]
Shares in Hancock for each share of Whitney						0.418
Business acquisition, fair value of shares issued							$ 1,300,000,000
TARP stock redeemed					307,700,000
Business acquisition, total purchase price					1,600,000,000
Number of bank branches divested															7	1
Loans		11,191,901,000	4,968,149,000														47,000,000
Deposits		15,713,579,000	6,775,719,000														180,000,000
Fair value refinement period, maximum years		1
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, total assets acquired		11,200,000,000																1,700,000,000		20,700,000
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, loans and leases acquired		6,500,000,000
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, investment securities acquired		2,600,000,000
Core deposit intangible					224,000,000
Business acquisition purchase price allocation deposits					9,200,000,000
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, liabilities assumed					10,100,000,000
Goodwill from Whitney acquisition at acquisition date		513,917,000																	589,000,000
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, core deposit intangibles amount					189,400,000				11,700,000		11,100,000		11,300,000
CDI intangible assets, amortization life, minimum (in years)														12
CDI intangible assets, amortization life, maximum (in years)														20
Amortization life, years										12		15
Average amortization life, years								2.5
Business acquisition, merger related charges		86,800,000
Business combination, net income of acquirer included in consolidated statements		232,500,000
Merger related charges, total		35,800,000																	86,800,000
Contingent liabilities payments to employees, fair value					58,000,000
Contractual contingency assumed liabilities for systems conversion and replacement initiative, fair value					14,000,000
Number of branch operated																		29
Number of Employees																		437
Percentage of loan losses covered under loss share agreement		80.00%
Amount of loan losses covered under loss share agreement		385,000,000
Percentage of losses covered under loss share agreement		95.00%
Term for loss sharing on residential real estate loans		10 years
Term for loss sharing on non-residential real estate loans		5 years
Estimated Receivable From FDIC		325,600,000
FDIC loss share receivable		212,885,000	329,136,000
Fair value of the acquired performing receivables					5,900,000,000
Gross contractual receivable					6,800,000,000
Bargain purchase gain on acquisition				33,623,000
Business acquisition purchase price allocation assets acquired pretax		33,600,000
Average estimated life of the core deposit base				10 years
Average approximate life of portfolio				7 months
Provision for credit losses	0
Acquisition related costs			$ 3,200,000	$ 3,700,000
Acquired liabilities expected to be paid		1 year

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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 243,022	$ 28,600
Accumulated Amortization	31,947	15,397
Net Carrying Amount	211,075	13,203
Core deposit intangibles [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Gross Carrying Amount	206,047	25,747
Accumulated Amortization	27,691	13,218
Net Carrying Amount	178,356	12,529
Credit card and trust relationships [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Gross Carrying Amount	22,400
Accumulated Amortization	1,908
Net Carrying Amount	20,492
Value of insurance business acquired [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Gross Carrying Amount	2,431	2,431
Accumulated Amortization	1,926	1,757
Net Carrying Amount	505	674
Non-compete agreements [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Gross Carrying Amount	322	322
Accumulated Amortization	322	322
Net Carrying Amount	0	0
Trade name [Member]
Components of other intangible assets and related amortization
Gross Carrying Amount	11,822	100
Accumulated Amortization	100	100
Net Carrying Amount	$ 11,722	$ 0

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details Textual)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Textual) [Abstract]
Minimum Period of Investment	2 years
Maximum Period of Investment	5 years

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Loans (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified						12 Months Ended												12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 04, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Allowance for loan losses [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Allowance for loan losses [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Allowance for loan losses [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Allowance for loan losses [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Allowance for loan losses [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Allowance for loan losses [Member] Residential mortgage Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Allowance for loan losses [Member] Residential mortgage Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Allowance for loan losses [Member] Consumer loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Allowance for loan losses [Member] Consumer loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Loans [Member] Commercial Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Loans [Member] Residential mortgage Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Loans [Member] Residential mortgage Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Loans [Member] Consumer loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Loans [Member] Consumer loan [Member]
Allowance for loan losses:
Loans and Leases receivable, Allowance, Beginning Balance	$ 124,881		$ 81,997			$ 81,997	$ 66,050	$ 61,725	$ 56,859	$ 42,484	$ 4,626	$ 4,782	$ 20,512	$ 18,784	$ 4,957,164		$ 5,114,175	$ 3,147,765		$ 659,689		$ 1,149,710
Charge-offs						(70,263)	(58,266)	(54,915)	(54,754)	(39,393)	(2,634)	(4,615)	(12,875)	(14,258)
Recoveries						24,984	7,584	4,650	20,006	3,491	1,091	740	3,887	3,353
Net Provision for loan losses						38,732	65,991	54,590	29,762	50,277	1,632	3,719	7,338	11,995
Increase in indemnification asset						49,431	638		26,541		9,203		13,687	638
Loans and Leases receivable, Allowance, Ending Balance	124,881		81,997			124,881	81,997	66,050	78,414	56,859	13,918	4,626	32,549	20,512	11,177,026		5,114,175	8,062,158		1,507,498		1,607,370
Ending balance: Individually evaluated for impairment						7,539	11,952	10,972	6,988	10,648	551	1,304	0	0	32,124	62,454	78,005	28,034	56,836	4,090	5,618	0
Ending balance: Collectively evaluated for impairment						117,342	70,045	55,078	71,426	46,211	13,367	3,322	32,549	20,512	10,473,459	4,085,559	4,085,740	7,794,582	2,716,598	1,217,726	360,566	1,461,151	1,008,395
Ending balance: Covered loans with deteriorated credit quality		535,489		8,062,158	3,147,765	41,635	0	0	18,203	0	9,024	0	14,408	0
Loans:
Impairment of covered loans															671,443	809,151	950,430	239,542	374,331	285,682	293,505	146,219	141,315
Acquired loans															$ 5,617,853			$ 4,496,644		$ 734,669		$ 386,540

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Segment Reporting

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting

Note 19. Segment Reporting

The Company's primary operating segments are divided into Hancock, Whitney, and Other. The Hancock segment coincides generally with the Company's Hancock Bank subsidiary and the Whitney segment with its Whitney Bank subsidiary. Each bank segment offers commercial, consumer and mortgage loans and deposit services as well as certain other services, such as trust and treasury management services. Although the bank segments offer the same products and services, they are managed separately due to different pricing, product demand, and consumer markets. On June 4, 2011, the Company completed its acquisition of Whitney Holding Corporation, the parent of Whitney National Bank. Whitney National Bank was merged into Hancock Bank of Louisiana and the combined entity was renamed Whitney Bank. Prior to the merger the segment now called Whitney Bank was comprised generally of Hancock Bank Louisiana. As part of the merger, the assets and liabilities of the former Hancock Bank of Alabama were transferred to Hancock Bank. In the following tables, the "Other" segment includes activities of other consolidated subsidiaries that provide investment services, insurance agency services, insurance underwriting and various other services to third parties.

Following is selected information for the Company's segments (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31, 2011
	Hancock			Whitney			Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
Interest income	$	195,230		$	380,072		$	17,892		$	(990	)	$	592,204
Interest expense		(39,056	)		(29,538	)		(2,905	)		528			(70,971	)
Net interest income		156,174			350,534			14,987			(462	)		521,233
Provision for loan losses		(17,216	)		(17,550	)		(3,966	)		—			(38,732	)
Noninterest income		76,846			96,349			32,761			471			206,427
Depreciation and amortization		(10,649	)		(13,123	)		(834	)		—			(24,606	)
Other noninterest expense		(163,088	)		(372,034	)		(34,894	)		608			(569,408	)
Securities transactions		(51	)		—			(40	)		—			(91	)
Income before income taxes		42,016			44,176			8,014			617			94,823
Income tax expense (benefit)		6,513			7,584			3,967			—			18,064
Net income (loss)	$	35,503		$	36,592		$	4,047		$	617		$	76,759
Goodwill	$	23,386		$	623,294		$	4,482		$	—		$	651,162
Total assets	$	4,934,003		$	14,792,788		$	2,462,281		$	(2,414,976	)	$	19,774,096
Total interest income from affiliates	$	3,946		$	480		$	—		$	(4,426	)	$	—
Total interest income from external customers	$	191,284		$	379,592		$	17,892		$	3,436		$	592,204

	Year Ended December 31, 2010
	Hancock			Whitney			Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
Interest income	$	203,222		$	132,205		$	22,122		$	(4,991	)	$	352,558
Interest expense		(61,384	)		(21,198	)		(4,294	)		4,531			(82,345	)
Net interest income		141,838			111,007			17,828			(460	)		270,213
Provision for loan losses		(37,845	)		(22,554	)		(5,592	)		—			(65,991	)
Noninterest income		67,940			43,331			25,745			(67	)		136,949
Depreciation and amortization		(9,755	)		(3,003	)		(767	)		—			(13,525	)
Other noninterest expense		(152,956	)		(81,665	)		(31,244	)		130			(265,735	)
Income before income taxes		9,222			47,116			5,970			(397	)		61,911
Income tax expense (benefit)		(5,101	)		12,373			2,433			—			9,705
Net income (loss)	$	14,323		$	34,743		$	3,537		$	(397	)	$	52,206
Goodwill	$	23,386		$	33,763		$	4,482		$	—		$	61,631
Total assets	$	5,247,383		$	2,906,365		$	1,093,565		$	(1,108,986	)	$	8,138,327
Total interest income from affiliates	$	5,017		$	—		$	—		$	(5,017	)	$	—
Total interest income from external customers	$	198,205		$	132,205		$	22,122		$	26		$	352,558

	Year Ended December 31, 2009
	Hancock			Whitney			Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
Interest income	$	167,114		$	138,767		$	23,931		$	(6,085	)	$	323,727
Interest expense		(66,210	)		(29,772	)		(4,942	)		5,624			(95,300	)
Net interest income		100,904			108,995			18,989			(461	)		228,427
Provision for loan losses		(29,513	)		(18,398	)		(6,679	)		—			(54,590	)
Noninterest income		90,109			42,321			25,177			(280	)		157,327
Depreciation and amortization		(11,485	)		(3,467	)		(597	)		—			(15,549	)
Other noninterest expense		(106,860	)		(81,850	)		(29,310	)		99			(217,921	)
Income before income taxes		43,155			47,601			7,580			(642	)		97,694
Income tax expense (benefit)		9,149			12,866			904			—			22,919
Net income (loss)	$	34,006		$	34,735		$	6,676		$	(642	)	$	74,775
Goodwill	$	23,386		$	33,763		$	5,128		$	—		$	62,277
Total assets	$	5,789,737		$	2,890,341		$	1,114,826		$	(1,097,821	)	$	8,697,083
Total interest income from affiliates	$	6,085		$	—		$	—		$	(6,085	)	$	—
Total interest income from external customers	$	161,029		$	138,767		$	23,931		$	—		$	323,727

Consolidated other intangible assets totaled $211.1 million and $13.2 million, respectively, at December 31, 2011 and 2010. The balance at the end of 2011 consisted of core deposit intangibles of $178.4 million and other identifiable intangible assets of $32.7 million. The total was allocated $201.4 million to the Whitney segment, $9.4 million to the Hancock segment, and $0.3 million to the Other segment. Total other intangible assets at the end of 2010 consisted of core deposit intangibles of $13.2 million and other identifiable intangibles assets of $0.3 million. The 2010 total was allocated $1.7 million to Whitney, $11.1 million to Hancock, and $0.7 million to the Other segment. The increase in other intangible assets allocated to Whitney in 2011 was related to the Whitney acquisition as detailed in Note 2.

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Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information
Interest income	$ 592,204	$ 352,558	$ 323,727
Interest expense	(70,971)	(82,345)	(95,300)
Net interest income	521,233	270,213	228,427
Provision for loan losses	(38,732)	(65,991)	(54,590)
Noninterest income	206,427	136,949	157,327
Depreciation and amortization	(24,606)	(13,525)	(15,549)
Other noninterest expense	(569,408)	(265,735)	(217,921)
Securities transactions	(91)
Income before income taxes	94,823	61,911	97,694
Income tax expense (benefit)	18,064	9,705	22,919
Net income	76,759	52,206	74,775
Goodwill	651,162	61,631	62,277
Total assets	19,774,096	8,138,327	8,697,083
Total interest income from affiliates
Total interest income from external customers	592,204	352,558	323,727
Hancock [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Interest income	195,230	203,222	167,114
Interest expense	(39,056)	(61,384)	(66,210)
Net interest income	156,174	141,838	100,904
Provision for loan losses	(17,216)	(37,845)	(29,513)
Noninterest income	76,846	67,940	90,109
Depreciation and amortization	(10,649)	(9,755)	(11,485)
Other noninterest expense	(163,088)	(152,956)	(106,860)
Securities transactions	(51)
Income before income taxes	42,016	9,222	43,155
Income tax expense (benefit)	6,513	(5,101)	9,149
Net income	35,503	14,323	34,006
Goodwill	23,386	23,386	23,386
Total assets	4,934,003	5,247,383	5,789,737
Total interest income from affiliates	3,946	5,017	6,085
Total interest income from external customers	191,284	198,205	161,029
Whitney [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Interest income	380,072	132,205	138,767
Interest expense	(29,538)	(21,198)	(29,772)
Net interest income	350,534	111,007	108,995
Provision for loan losses	(17,550)	(22,554)	(18,398)
Noninterest income	96,349	43,331	42,321
Depreciation and amortization	(13,123)	(3,003)	(3,467)
Other noninterest expense	(372,034)	(81,665)	(81,850)
Securities transactions
Income before income taxes	44,176	47,116	47,601
Income tax expense (benefit)	7,584	12,373	12,866
Net income	36,592	34,743	34,735
Goodwill	623,294	33,763	33,763
Total assets	14,792,788	2,906,365	2,890,341
Total interest income from affiliates	480
Total interest income from external customers	379,592	132,205	138,767
Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Interest income	17,892	22,122	23,931
Interest expense	(2,905)	(4,294)	(4,942)
Net interest income	14,987	17,828	18,989
Provision for loan losses	(3,966)	(5,592)	(6,679)
Noninterest income	32,761	25,745	25,177
Depreciation and amortization	(834)	(767)	(597)
Other noninterest expense	(34,894)	(31,244)	(29,310)
Securities transactions	(40)
Income before income taxes	8,014	5,970	7,580
Income tax expense (benefit)	3,967	2,433	904
Net income	4,047	3,537	6,676
Goodwill	4,482	4,482	5,128
Total assets	2,462,281	1,093,565	1,114,826
Total interest income from affiliates
Total interest income from external customers	17,892	22,122	23,931
Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Interest income	(990)	(4,991)	(6,085)
Interest expense	528	4,531	5,624
Net interest income	(462)	(460)	(461)
Provision for loan losses
Noninterest income	471	(67)	(280)
Depreciation and amortization
Other noninterest expense	608	130	99
Securities transactions
Income before income taxes	617	(397)	(642)
Income tax expense (benefit)
Net income	617	(397)	(642)
Goodwill
Total assets	(2,414,976)	(1,108,986)	(1,097,821)
Total interest income from affiliates	(4,426)	(5,017)	(6,085)
Total interest income from external customers	$ 3,436	$ 26

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Loans (Details 6) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	$ 53,599	$ 41,071
Greater than 90 days past due	109,150	122,477
Total past due	162,749	163,548
Current	11,014,277	4,793,616
Total Loans	11,177,026	4,957,164
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	5,880	1,492
Originated loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	51,471	41,071
Greater than 90 days past due	88,178	77,191
Total past due	139,649	118,262
Current	4,748,081	4,029,751
Total Loans	4,887,730	4,148,013
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	4,871	1,492
Acquired loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	2,128	0
Greater than 90 days past due	2,126	0
Total past due	4,254	0
Current	5,613,599	0
Total Loans	5,617,853	0
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	1,009	0
Covered loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	0	0
Greater than 90 days past due	18,846	45,286
Total past due	18,846	45,286
Current	652,597	763,865
Total Loans	671,443	809,151
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	0	0
Commercial Loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	24,939	12,463
Greater than 90 days past due	77,076	92,596
Total past due	102,015	105,059
Current	7,960,143	3,042,706
Total Loans	8,062,158	3,147,765
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	3,821	300
Commercial Loans [Member] | Originated loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	24,939	12,463
Greater than 90 days past due	58,867	50,679
Total past due	83,806	63,142
Current	3,242,166	2,710,292
Total Loans	3,325,972	2,773,434
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	3,821	300
Commercial Loans [Member] | Acquired loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	0	0
Greater than 90 days past due	0	0
Total past due	0	0
Current	4,496,644	0
Total Loans	4,496,644	0
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	0	0
Commercial Loans [Member] | Covered loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	0	0
Greater than 90 days past due	18,209	41,917
Total past due	18,209	41,917
Current	221,333	332,414
Total Loans	239,542	374,331
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	0	0
Residential mortgage Loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	22,248	22,109
Greater than 90 days past due	26,037	22,772
Total past due	48,285	44,881
Current	1,459,213	614,808
Total Loans	1,507,498	659,689
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	994	874
Residential mortgage Loans [Member] | Originated loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	22,248	22,109
Greater than 90 days past due	25,400	19,573
Total past due	47,648	41,682
Current	439,499	324,502
Total Loans	487,147	366,184
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	994	874
Residential mortgage Loans [Member] | Acquired loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	0	0
Greater than 90 days past due	0	0
Total past due	0	0
Current	734,669	0
Total Loans	734,669	0
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	0	0
Residential mortgage Loans [Member] | Covered loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	0	0
Greater than 90 days past due	637	3,199
Total past due	637	3,199
Current	285,045	290,306
Total Loans	285,682	293,505
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	0	0
Consumer loan [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	6,412	6,499
Greater than 90 days past due	6,037	7,109
Total past due	12,449	13,608
Current	1,594,921	1,136,102
Total Loans	1,607,370	1,149,710
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	1,065	318
Consumer loan [Member] | Originated loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	4,284	6,499
Greater than 90 days past due	3,911	6,939
Total past due	8,195	13,438
Current	1,066,416	994,957
Total Loans	1,074,611	1,008,395
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	56	318
Consumer loan [Member] | Acquired loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	2,128	0
Greater than 90 days past due	2,126	0
Total past due	4,254	0
Current	382,286	0
Total Loans	386,540	0
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	1,009	0
Consumer loan [Member] | Covered loans [Member]
Summary of Age Analysis of Past Due Loans
30-89 days past due	0	0
Greater than 90 days past due	0	170
Total past due	0	170
Current	146,219	141,145
Total Loans	146,219	141,315
Recorded investment > 90 days and accruing	$ 0	$ 0

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Borrowings (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Borrowings [Abstract]

Short-term borrowings

	December 31,
	2011		2010
Federal funds purchased
Amount outstanding at period-end	$	16,819	$	—
Weighted average interest rate at period-end		0.19%		—
Weighted average interest rate during the year		0.18%		0.13%
Average daily balance during the year	$	12,911	$	2,734
Maximum month end balance during the year	$	26,666	$	6,900
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase
Amount outstanding at period-end	$	1,027,635	$	364,676
Weighted average interest rate at period-end		0.65%		1.69%
Weighted average interest rate during the year		1.03%		1.95%
Average daily balance during the year	$	681,474	$	477,174
Maximum month end balance during the year	$	1,027,635	$	534,627
FHLB borrowings:
Amount outstanding at period-end	$	—	$	10,172
Weighted average interest rate at period-end		—		1.19%
Weighted average interest rate during the year		0.15%		0.57%
Average daily balance during the year	$	81,673	$	22,846
Maximum month end balance during the year	$	10,153	$	30,676

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Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]

Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans

Note 12. Retirement and Employee Benefit Plans

Pension Plans—Defined Benefit

The Company has a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan covering legacy Hancock employees who have been employed by the Company one year and who have worked a minimum of 1,000 hours during the calendar year. The benefits are based upon years of service and the employee's base or benefit base compensation.

Certain legacy Whitney employees are covered by a noncontributory qualified defined benefit pension plan. The benefits are based on an employee's total years of service and his or her highest consecutive five-year level of compensation during the final ten years of employment. Certain legacy Whitney employees are also covered by an unfunded nonqualified defined benefit pension plan that provides retirement benefits to designated executive officers. These benefits are calculated using the qualified plan's formula, but without applying the restrictions imposed on qualified plans by certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Benefits that become payable under the nonqualified plan supplement amounts paid from the qualified plan. The Whitney plans have been closed to new participants since 2008, and benefit accruals have been frozen for all participants other than those who met certain vesting, age and years of service criteria as of December 31, 2008.

The Company makes contributions to the qualified pension plans in amounts sufficient to meet funding requirements set forth in federal employee benefit and tax laws, plus such additional amounts as the Company may determine to be appropriate. Based on currently available information, the Company anticipates making contributions totaling approximately $22.2 million during 2012.

The Company is in the process of reviewing all retirement benefit plans to determine appropriate changes needed to transition legacy Whitney employees into the Company's benefit plans.

The following tables detail the changes in the benefit obligations and plan assets of each plan for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 as well as the funded status of the plans at each year end and the amounts recognized in the Company's balance sheets (in thousands). The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for all defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans.

Hancock Plan

	2011			2010
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	101,746		$	89,720
Service cost		4,689			3,501
Interest cost		5,453			5,233
Actuarial loss		27,429			7,155
Benefits paid		(4,202	)		(3,863	)
Benefit obligation, end of year		135,115			101,746
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year		71,640			61,313
Actual return on plan assets		1,375			7,718
Employer contributions		34,907			6,726
Benefit payments		(4,202	)		(3,863	)
Expenses		(245	)		(254	)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year		103,475			71,640
Funded status at end of year—net liability	$	(31,640	)	$	(30,106	)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	$	38,810		$	36,753
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year		(2,343	)		(2,281	)
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		31,789			4,338
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$	68,256		$	38,810

Whitney Plan

	December 31, 2011
	Qualified			Nonqualified
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at acquisition date	$	216,992		$	14,442
Service cost		3,751			27
Interest cost		6,664			438
Actuarial loss		40,542			1,597
Benefits paid		(3,556	)		(570	)
Benefit obligation, end of year		264,393			15,934
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at acquisition date		223,495			—
Actual return on plan assets		(5,354	)		—
Employer contributions		10,000			570
Benefit payments		(3,556	)		(570	)
Expenses		—			—
Fair value of plan assets, end of year		224,585			—
Funded status at end of year—net liability	$	(39,808	)	$	(15,934	)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at acquistion date	$	—		$	—
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year		—			—
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		55,524			1,597
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$	55,524		$	1,597

The accumulated benefit obligation was $109.1 million and $83.6 million, respectively, for the Hancock plan at December 31, 2011 and 2010. The accumulated benefit obligations at December 31, 2011 for the Whitney plans were $239.1 million for qualified plan and $15.7 million for the nonqualified plan.

The following tables show net periodic cost included in expense and the changes in the amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income during 2011 and 2010. Hancock expects to recognize $4.6 million of the net actuarial loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income at December 31, 2011 as a component of net pension expense in 2012. The amount expected to be recognized from the Whitney plans totals $3.0 million.

The components of net periodic cost included in expense for each plan follows (in thousands):

Hancock Plan

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost	$	4,689		$	3,500		$	3,107
Interest cost		5,453			5,233			4,833
Expected return on plan assets		(5,490	)		(4,646	)		(3,873	)
Recognized net amortization and deferral		2,343			2,281			2,648
Net periodic benefit cost		6,995			6,368			6,715
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year		(2,343	)		(2,281	)		(2,648	)
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		31,789			4,338			(1,089	)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		29,446			2,057			(3,737	)
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	36,441		$	8,425		$	2,978
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations		4.35	%		5.46	%		5.95	%
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost		5.46	%		5.95	%		5.96	%
Expected long-term return on plan assets		7.50	%		7.50	%		7.50	%
Rate of compensation increase		4.00	%		4.00	%		4.00	%

  

Whitney Plan

	Year Ended
	December 31, 2011
	Qualified			Nonqualified
Net periodic benefit cost
Service cost	$	3,751		$	27
Interest cost		6,664			438
Expected return on plan assets		(9,628	)		—
Recognized net amortization and deferral		—			—
Net periodic benefit cost		787			465
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Net (loss)/gain recognized during the year		—			—
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		55,524			1,597
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		55,524			1,597
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	56,311		$	2,062
Weighted average assumptions as of measurement date
Discount rate for benefit obligations		4.31	%		4.31	%
Discount rate for net periodic benefit cost		5.35	%		5.35	%
Expected long-term return on plan assets		7.50	%		—
Rate of compensation increase		3.58	%		3.58	%

The long term rate of return on plan assets is determined by using the weighted-average of historical real returns for major asset classes based on target asset allocations. At December 31, 2011, the discount rate was calculated by matching expected future cash flows to the Citigroup Pension Discount Curve Liability Index.

The following shows expected pension plan benefit payments over the next ten years (in thousands):

	Hancock		Whitney
	Qualified		Qualified		Nonqualified		Total
2012	$	4,273	$	6,993	$	888	$	12,154
2013		4,394		7,410		883		12,687
2014		4,640		8,020		1,041		13,701
2015		4,971		8,735		1,134		14,840
2016		5,342		9,432		1,138		15,912
2017-2021		33,222		57,629		5,792		96,643
	$	56,842	$	98,219	$	10,876	$	165,937

The expected benefit payments are estimated based on the same assumptions used to measure the Company's benefit obligations at December 31, 2011.

The Hancock plan assets are held in the Company's family of mutual funds. The fair values of the Hancock pension plan assets at December 31, 2011 and 2010, by asset category, are shown in the following tables (in thousands):

Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2011
Asset Category	Total		Quoted Prices in Active  Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Hancock Horizon Government Money Market Fund	$	28,081	$	28,081	$	—	$	—
Hancock Horizon Strategic Income Bond Fund		29,895		29,895		—		—
Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/Short Fund		3,674		3,674		—		—
Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund		6,266		6,266		—		—
Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund		2,414		2,414		—		—
Hancock Horizon Growth Fund		13,403		13,403		—		—
Hancock Horizon Value Fund		19,742		19,742		—		—
TOTAL	$	103,475	$	103,475	$	—	$	—

		$103,40		$103,40		$103,40		$103,40
Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2010
Asset Category	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Hancock Horizon Government Money Market Fund	$	2,573	$	2,573	$	—	$	—
Hancock Horizon Strategic Income Bond Fund		25,974		25,974		—		—
Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/Short Fund		3,525		3,525		—		—
Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund		6,277		6,277
Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund		2,264		2,264
Hancock Horizon Growth Fund		12,392		12,392		—		—
Hancock Horizon Value Fund		18,635		18,635
TOTAL	$	71,640	$	71,640	$	—	$	—

The Hancock plan's percentage asset allocations by asset category and corresponding target allocations at December 31, 2011 and 2010 follow:

	Plan Assets at December 31,						Target Allocation at December 31,
Asset category	2011			2010			2011			2010
Equity securities		44	%		60	%		40-70	%		40-70	%
Fixed income securities		29	%		36	%		30-60	%		30-60	%
Cash equivalents		27	%		4	%		0-10	%		0-10	%
		100	%		100	%

A $25 million contribution to the plan late in 2011 was initially invested in cash equivalents. After these funds were reinvested, the distribution of plan assets was within target allocations.

The investment strategy of the Hancock pension plan is to emphasize a balanced return of current income and growth of principal while accepting a moderate level of risk. The investment goal of the plan is to meet or exceed the return of a balanced market index comprised of 55% of the S&P 500 Index and 45% of the Barclays Intermediate Aggregate Bond Index. The pension plan investment committee meets periodically to review the policy, strategy and performance of the plan. 

The fair value of the Whitney pension plan assets at December 31, 2011, are shown in the following table (in thousands):

Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2011
Asset Category	Total		Quoted Prices in Active  Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Equity securities-large cap	$	72,607	$	72,607	$		$
Equity securities-small cap		44,191		44,191
Hancock Horizon Diversified International		18,262		18,262
Corporate debt		33,319				33,319
U.S. government and agency secutities and other		44,017		15,032		28,985
Cash and equivalents		12,189		12,189
TOTAL	$	224,585	$	162,281	$	62,304	$

        The Whitne plan's percentage asset allocations by asset category and corresponding target allocations at December 31, 2011 follow:

	At December 31, 2011
	Plan			Target
	Assets			Allocation
Asset category
Equity securities		60	%		40-70	%
Fixed income securities		35	%		30-50	%
Cash equivalents		5	%		0-10	%
		100	%

The assumption regarding the expected long-term return on Whitney plan assets with reference to the plan's investment policy and practices, including the tolerance for market and credit risk, and historical returns for benchmark indices specified in the policy. The policy communicates risk tolerance in terms of diversification criteria and constraints on investment quality. The plan may not hold debt securities of any single issuer, except the U.S. Treasury and U.S. government agencies, in excess of 10% of plan assets. The policy also calls for diversification of equity holdings across business segments and states a preference for holdings in companies that demonstrate consistent growth in earnings and dividends. No company's equity securities shall comprise more than 5% of the plan's total market value. Limited use of derivatives is authorized by the policy, but the investment manager has not employed these instruments.

As of December 31, 2011, the Whitney plan assets included 16,375 shares of Hancock common stock with a value of $.5 million (.23%) of plan assets.

Pension Plans – Defined Contribution

The Company sponsors defined contribution retirement plans under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Hancock plan covers substantially all legacy Hancock employees who have been employed 90 days and meet certain other requirements, but excluding on call, temporary, and seasonal employees. Under these plans, the Company will match the 50% of the savings of each participant up to 6% of his or her compensation.

Eligible legacy Whitney employees who are employed by the new Whitney Bank after the merger continue to be covered by an employee savings plan under Section 401(k). An employee of the new Whitney Bank who was not a participant at the merger date can become eligible to participate in the savings plan after meeting the eligibility conditions, provided the employee performed services at a legacy Whitney location as of the merger date. Under the savings plan, the Company will match the savings of each participant up to 4% of his or her compensation. Tax law imposes limits on total annual participant savings. Participants are fully vested in their savings and in the matching Company contribution at all times. Under the savings plan, the Company can also make discretionary profit sharing contributions on behalf of participants who are either (a) ineligible to participate in the Whitney qualified defined-benefit plan or (b) subject to the freeze in benefit accruals under the defined-benefit plan. The discretionary profit sharing contribution for a plan year is up to 4% of the participants' eligible compensation for such year and is allocated only to participants who were employed on the first day of the plan year and at year end. Participants must complete three years of service to become vested in the Company's contributions subject to earlier vesting in the case of retirement, death or disability. The Whitney board amended the plan shortly prior to the merger to provide that Whitney employees terminated as a result of a force reduction after the closing date of the merger would also be immediately vested.

The expense of the Company's matching contributions to both the Hancock and legacy Whitney 401(k) plans was $4.5 million in 2011, $2.0 million in 2010 and $1.8 million in 2009. The discretionary profit-sharing contribution under the legacy Whitney plan was $1.3 million in 2011.

Health and Welfare Plans – Defined Benefit

The Company also sponsors defined benefit postretirement plans for both legacy Hancock and legacy Whitney employees. The Hancock plans provide health care and life insurance benefits to retiring employees who participate in medical and/or group life insurance benefit plans for active employees at the time of retirement and have reached 55 years of age with ten years of service or age 65 with five years of service. The postretirement health care plan is contributory, with retiree contributions adjusted annually and subject to certain employer contribution maximums. Neither Hancock plan is available to employees hired on or after January 1, 2000.

The legacy Whitney plans offer health care and life insurance benefit plans for retirees and their eligible dependents. Participant contributions are required under the health plan. All health care benefits are covered under contracts with health maintenance or preferred provider organizations or insurance contracts. The Company funds its obligations under these plans as contractual payments come due to health care organizations and insurance companies. Currently, these plans restrict eligibility for postretirement health benefits to retirees already receiving benefits as of the plan amendments in 2007 and to those active participants who were eligible to receive benefits as of December 31, 2007. Life insurance benefits are currently only available to employees who retired before December 31, 2007.

The following tables detail the changes in the benefit obligation of the Hancock and Whitney plans for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, as well as the funded status of the plans at each year end and the amounts recognized in the Company's consolidated balance sheets (in thousands). The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for all defined benefit retirement plans. The Company used a 4.25% discount rate for the determination of the projected postretirement benefit obligation as of December 31, 2011 and a 4.10% discount rate for the Whitney plans. A discount rate of 5.30% was used to determine the Hancock plan benefit obligation as of December 31, 2010.

Hancock Plan

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010
Change in postretirement benefit obligation
Projected postretirement benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	12,373		$	10,290
Service cost		137			125
Interest cost		611			556
Plan participants' contributions		346			310
Actuarial loss		4,294			2,098
Benefit payments		(1,108	)		(1,006	)
Projected postretirement benefit obligation, end of year		16,653			12,373
Change in plan assets
Plan assets, beginning of year		—			—
Employer contributions		763			696
Plan participants' contributions		345			310
Benefit payments		(1,108	)		(1,006	)
Plan assets, end of year		—			—
Funded status at end of year—net liability	$	(16,653	)	$	(12,373	)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	$	5,546		$	3,701
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year		(489	)		(253	)
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		4,294			2,098
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$	9,351		$	5,546

Whitney Plans

	Period Ended December 31 2011
Change in postretirement benefit obligation
Projected postretirement benefit obligation, from acquisition date	$	15,949
Service cost		—
Interest cost		480
Plan participants' contributions		523
Actuarial loss		1,645
Benefit payments		(1,143	)
Projected postretirement benefit obligation, end of year		17,454
Change in plan assets
Plan assets, beginning of year		—
Employer contributions		620
Plan participants' contributions		523
Benefit payments		(1,143	)
Plan assets, end of year		—
Funded status at end of year—net liability	$	(17,454	)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unrecognized loss at beginning of year	$	—
Amount of (loss)/gain recognized during the year		—
Net actuarial loss/(gain)		1,645
Unrecognized loss at end of year	$	1,645

The following tables for the Hancock plans show the composition of net periodic postretirement benefit cost (in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost
Service cost	$	137		$	124		$	114
Interest costs		611			556			565
Amortization of net loss		538			302			296
Amortization of prior service cost		(48	)		(48	)		(48	)
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost		1,238			934			927
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Amount of loss recognized during the year		(538	)		(302	)		(296	)
Net actuarial (gain)/loss		4,293			2,098			1,574
Amortization of prior service cost		48			48			48
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		3,803			1,844			1,326
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	5,041		$	2,778		$	2,253

The Company assumed certain trends in health care costs in the determination of the benefit obligations. At December 31, 2011, the Company assumed a 7.5% increase in the pre- and post-Medicare age health costs for 2012, declining uniformly over 5 years to a 5.0% annual rate of increase for years thereafter. At December 31, 2010, the initial rate of increase was assumed to be 8.0%, declining to an ultimate rate of 5.0% over a 6 year period. The following table illustrates the effect on the annual periodic postretirement benefit costs and postretirement benefit obligation of a 1% increase or 1% decrease in the assumed health care cost trend rates from the rates assumed at December 31, 2011.

	1% Decrease		Assumed		1% Increase
	in Rates		Rates		in Rates
Aggregated service and interest cost	$	654	$	748	$	866
Postretirement benefit obligation		14,655		16,653		19,114

The following tables for the Whitney plans show the composition of net period postretirement benefit cost (in thousands):

	2011
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost
Service cost	$	—
Interest costs		480
Amortization of net loss		—
Amortization of prior service cost		—
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost		480
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes
Amount of loss recognized during the year		—
Net actuarial (gain)/loss		1,645
Amortization of prior service cost		—
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		1,645
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other
comprehensive income	$	2,125

At December 31, 2011, the Company assumed a 7.75% increase in pre- and post-Medicare age health costs for 2012, declining gradually to a 5.0% annual rate. The following table illustrates the effect on the annual periodic postretirement benefit cost and the postretirement benefit obligation of a 1% increase or 1% decrease in the assumed health care cost trend rates:

	1% Decrease in Rates		Assumed Rates		1% Increase in Rates
Aggregated service and interest cost	$	431	$	480	$	538
Postretirement benefit obligation		15,620		17,454		19,631

Expected benefits to be paid over the next ten years are reflected the following table (in thousands):

	Hancock		Whitney		Total
2012	$	832	$	1,246	$	2,078
2013		795		1,293		2,088
2014		838		1,244		2,082
2015		784		1,141		1,925
2016		813		1,056		1,869
2017-2021		4,245		4,450		8,695
	$	8,307	$	10,430	$	18,737

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Stock-Based Payment Arrangements (Details 2)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 years	Dec. 31, 2010 years	Dec. 31, 2009 years
Stock options, valuation assumption
Expected volatility	38.90%	40.53%	40.45%
Expected dividends	3.20%		2.49%
Expected term (in years)	6.38	9.55	8.70
Risk-free rates	1.99%		3.28%
Risk-free rates, minimum		2.73%
Risk-free rates, maximum		3.33%
Maximum [Member]
Stock options, valuation assumption
Expected dividends		2.99%
Minimum [Member]
Stock options, valuation assumption
Expected dividends		2.90%