NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 19, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Whitney Holding Corporation (Nasdaq:WTNY) (the "Company") today announced an underwritten public offering of $200 million of its common stock. The Company intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional fifteen percent of the shares to cover over-allotments, if any. The Company expects to use the proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include capital to support organic growth, to better position the Company for the eventual redemption of the Company's preferred stock and warrant issued to the U.S. Department of Treasury pursuant to the Capital Purchase Program, and to facilitate future acquisition opportunities.

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. will serve as joint book-running managers for the offering. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. and Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P. will serve as co-managers.

Whitney Holding Corporation, through its banking subsidiary Whitney National Bank, serves the five-state Gulf Coast region stretching from Houston, Texas; across southern Louisiana and the coastal region of Mississippi; to central and south Alabama; the panhandle of Florida; and the Tampa Bay metropolitan area of Florida.

The Company is conducting the offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The offering is being made solely by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. A copy of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering can be obtained by contacting J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., 4 Chase Metrotech Center, CS Level, Brooklyn, NY 11245, Attention: Prospectus Department, (718) 242-8002 or by contacting SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, 3333 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, Attention: Prospectus Department, (404) 926-5463, prospectus@rhco.com. Potential investors should first read the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, the registration statement and the other documents that the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with the offering.