Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 7.280-7.280 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 7.010. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Bank of America increased their target price on Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research note on Wednesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.20.

Kirby Price Performance

NYSE KEX traded down $0.77 during trading on Thursday, hitting $130.30. 212,637 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 701,468. The company has a market capitalization of $6.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.83. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $141.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $136.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Kirby has a 12-month low of $79.51 and a 12-month high of $157.69.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $922.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $870.38 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.62% and a net margin of 10.51%.The company’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.67 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Kirby will post 7.06 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In other Kirby news, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.43, for a total transaction of $581,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 10,814 shares in the company, valued at $1,572,680.02. This trade represents a 27.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total transaction of $99,916.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 9 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,326.33. The trade was a 98.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 17,691 shares of company stock worth $2,579,036. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

More Kirby News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kirby reported second-quarter revenue of $922.4 million, up 7.8% year over year and well above the $870.4 million consensus estimate. Earnings of $1.67 per share exceeded the $1.63 consensus cited by several sources. Kirby Corporation Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Marine transportation revenue increased 9%, supported by stronger customer demand and healthy fleet utilization, while distribution and services revenue rose 6% on power-generation and commercial demand.
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects full-year earnings growth to trend toward the upper end of its 5%–15% target range. Its updated 2026 EPS guidance of $7.28 is above the approximately $7.01 analyst consensus. The power-generation backlog also increased to roughly $1 billion–$1.5 billion. Kirby signals full-year EPS growth
• Positive Sentiment: Kirby returned $59.7 million through second-quarter share repurchases and bought back an additional $29.0 million of stock in the third quarter to date. BTIG also reaffirmed its Buy rating and $170 price target. BTIG analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus price target implies approximately 27% upside, but the source notes that price-target levels alone have limited predictive value. More meaningful support could come from continued upward earnings-estimate revisions. Wall Street analysts predict upside in Kirby
• Negative Sentiment: EPS was unchanged from the prior-year quarter at $1.67, and one estimate-based report characterized the result as slightly below its $1.70 consensus. This may have disappointed investors given the stock’s elevated valuation and recent share-price strength. Kirby Q2 earnings estimate report
• Negative Sentiment: The shares remain below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating continued near-term technical pressure. The market’s reaction suggests investors may be focusing more on limited profit growth than on revenue, guidance and backlog improvements.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kirby

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KEX. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,484,508 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $273,745,000 after purchasing an additional 93,676 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its position in Kirby by 72.5% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,282,865 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $258,900,000 after buying an additional 959,209 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Kirby by 109.4% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,256,667 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $248,640,000 after buying an additional 1,178,963 shares during the period. Select Equity Group L.P. increased its position in Kirby by 10.8% during the second quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 2,165,929 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $245,638,000 after acquiring an additional 211,231 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,932,146 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $212,884,000 after acquiring an additional 178,422 shares during the period. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kirby Company Profile

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.