core sector communique

Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund
receives five-star rating from Morningstar
International & Quantitative Long/Short Funds celebrate 3^rd anniversary

GULFPORT, Miss. (October 25, 2011)—Hancock Holding Company (Nasdaq: HBHC) announced today that the Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund has received a five-star overall rating from Morningstar. A five-star rating is the highest rating Morningstar issues to the top 10 percent of funds in a similar group.

The Diversified International Fund is the third Hancock Horizon Fund to earn this distinguished honor. The Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund has also received overall five-star ratings from Morningstar and the Hancock Horizon Value Fund received a five-star rating from Morningstar for the 10-year period. Morningstar ratings are objective and based entirely on mathematical evaluation of past performance—both return and risk.

Additionally, September 30, 2011, marked the third anniversary of the Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund and the Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/Short Fund. The Diversified International Fund has been sub-advised by EARNEST Partners since the fund’s inception. EARNEST Partners is based in Atlanta, Georgia and has approximately $15 billion in assets under management.

Having grown to more than $1 billion in assets to date from $245 million at its inception, the Hancock Horizon Funds is one of the largest mutual fund families in Mississippi and the Gulf South region. The Diversified International Fund and the Quantitative Long/Short Fund have both grown from approximately $6 million in assets under management to more than $100 million and $30 million, respectively as of October 5, 2011.

“We are especially proud of how our fund complex has performed. It is exciting for the Diversified International Fund to receive Morningstar’s highest overall rating as we commemorate the third anniversary of the International and Quantitative Long/Short funds. During the past three years, market turmoil has created a difficult environment in which to produce outstanding performance numbers. We are extremely pleased that three of our funds have received the top rating from Morningstar,” said Senior Vice President and Hancock Horizon Chief Investment Officer John Portwood.

About Hancock Holding Company

With assets of approximately $20 billion, Hancock Holding Company is the parent company of Hancock Bank and Whitney Bank. The company operates almost 300 full-service bank branches and nearly 400 ATMs across a Gulf South corridor spanning South Mississippi; southern Alabama; south central Louisiana; the northern, central, and Panhandle regions of Florida; and metropolitan Houston, Texas.

The Hancock Holding Company financial services family also includes Hancock Investment Services, Inc.; Hancock Insurance Agency and its divisions of J. Everett Eaves and Ross King Walker; Magna Insurance Company; Southern Coastal Insurance Agency, Inc.; corporate trust offices in Gulfport and Jackson, Miss., New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., and Orlando, Fla.; and Harrison Finance Company.


About Morningstar

© 2011 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

For each fund with at least a three-year history, Morningstar calculates a Morningstar Rating™ metric each month by subtracting the return on a 90-day U.S. Treasury Bill from the fund's load-adjusted return for the same period, and then adjusting this excess return for risk. The top 10 percent of funds in each category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5 percent receive 4 stars, the next 35 percent receive 3 stars, the next 22.5 percent receive 2 stars and the bottom 10 percent receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a fund is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five- and ten-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. As of 9/30/2011, the Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund and Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund received an overall Morningstar Rating of 5 stars. The Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund was rated against 735 Foreign Large Blend Funds over a three-year period and received 5 stars. The Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund was rated against 578 Small Blend Funds over a three-year period and 493 over a five-year period and received 4 and 5 stars respectively. The Hancock Horizon Value Trust Class received an overall Morningstar rating of 4 stars with a 5 star rating for the ten–year period. The Hancock Horizon Value Fund was rated against 1,114 Large Value Funds over a three-year period, 964 over a five-year period and 545 over a ten-year period and received 3, 4 and 5 stars respectively.

Mutual fund investing involves risk including loss of principal. There are specific risks inherent in international investing. International investments may involve risk of capital loss from unfavorable fluctuation in currency values, from differences in generally accepted accounting principles, or from social, economic, or political instability in other nations.

To determine if this Fund is an appropriate investment for you, carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, and charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund’s prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-990-2434 or visiting www.hancockhorizonfunds.com. Please read it carefully before investing.