Insider Selling: Kirby (NYSE:KEX) VP Sells $243,760.00 in Stock

Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $243,760.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 687 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,731.56. This trade represents a 74.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Kirby Stock Performance

KEX opened at $124.87 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a PE ratio of 19.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $118.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $104.03. Kirby Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $79.51 and a fifty-two week high of $132.18.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The shipping company reported $1.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.06. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.55% and a net margin of 10.54%.The business had revenue of $851.78 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $857.82 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.29 earnings per share. Kirby’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Kirby Corporation will post 6.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on KEX shares. BTIG Research dropped their target price on shares of Kirby from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore raised their price objective on shares of Kirby from $109.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Kirby in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Kirby from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.40.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kirby

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Kirby during the fourth quarter valued at $869,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Kirby by 57.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 636 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 31.0% during the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 38,264 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $4,216,000 after purchasing an additional 9,064 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby during the 4th quarter valued at about $95,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kirby by 537.5% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Kirby

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 EPS estimate for Kirby sharply (from $1.60 to $1.84) and projects stronger long‑run earnings (FY2028 EPS forecast of $9.14), which supports a higher near‑term valuation and helped push the stock up.
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlights improving shareholder returns and favorable fundamentals following Kirby’s January quarter that beat EPS expectations — a boost for investor confidence. Returns At Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Are On The Way Up
• Neutral Sentiment: Background: Kirby reported a January quarter EPS beat and revenue growth; consensus and longer‑term analyst coverage remain mostly constructive (consensus FY2026 ~6.57 EPS, MarketBeat consensus “Moderate Buy”), which provides underlying support to the share price.
• Negative Sentiment: In the same Zacks note, analysts trimmed several 2026 quarterly EPS estimates and reduced FY2026 from $6.97 to $6.75 — these downward revisions introduce some short‑term uncertainty around near‑term earnings momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks added KEX to its Rank #5 (Strong Sell) list on Feb 13, which can trigger short‑term selling pressure from momentum or model‑driven funds. New Strong Sell Stocks for February 13th
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Two Kirby VPs disclosed sizable sales (William Woodruff sold 2,000 shares; Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares). Large insider sells can be interpreted negatively by the market even if they’re routine. Insider Sales Filing

About Kirby

Kirby Corporation is a leading domestic maritime transporter of bulk liquid products in the United States. Through its Marine Transportation segment, the company operates one of North America’s largest fleets of inland tank barges and towing vessels. Kirby’s fleet moves petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals along coastal and inland waterways, providing critical logistical support to energy, chemical and agricultural producers.

In addition to its marine operations, Kirby’s Distribution and Services segment offers diesel engine and power generation services, along with aftermarket parts sales.