Hancock Holding Company to present

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2005

Hancock Holding Company to present
at Cohen Bros. & Co., Inc., 1st Annual Investors Conference

GULFPORT, MS (March 15, 2005) - Senior executives of Hancock Holding Company (NASDAQ: HBHC), the parent company of 105-year-old Hancock Bank, will present a corporate overview to attendees at the Cohen Bros. & Co., Inc., 1st Annual Investors Conference at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City from 2:50 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2005.

the meeting, Hancock's chief financial officer Carl J. Chaney and investor relations vice president Paul D. Guichet will review the company's recent financial performance and business strategies.

A live webcast of the conference will be available. A replay of the conference will be available at this link for a period of 12 months after the conference. Investors and analysts can access a copy of the presentation by visiting Hancock's web site and selecting the Investor Relations link.

Hancock Holding Company is the parent company of Hancock Bank Mississippi, Hancock Bank of Louisiana, Hancock Bank of Florida, and Magna Insurance Company and has assets of $4.7 billion. Founded in 1899, Hancock Bank consistently ranks among America's strongest, safest financial institutions. Hancock Bank operates 102 full-service offices and more than 140 automated teller machines throughout South Mississippi, Louisiana, and the Florida Panhandle, as well as subsidiaries Hancock Investment Services, Inc., Hancock Insurance Agency, and Harrison Finance Company.

Additional corporate information and online banking and bill-pay services are available.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION
R. Paul Maxwell, VP & Corporate Communications Manager
(228) 214-5252 or 1.800.522.6542 (x.85252)
paul_maxwell@hancockbank.com