Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $163.20.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on KEX. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kirby from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Kirby from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th.

Kirby Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of KEX stock opened at $135.60 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $138.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $136.65. Kirby has a 1-year low of $79.51 and a 1-year high of $157.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.16 billion, a PE ratio of 20.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.04. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.44% and a net margin of 10.18%.The company had revenue of $922.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $870.38 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.67 earnings per share. Kirby’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Kirby will post 7.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Kirby

In related news, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,287 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.93, for a total transaction of $1,647,111.91. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total value of $99,916.86. Following the sale, the vice president owned 9 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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. Insiders sold 15,965 shares of company stock valued at $2,328,749 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kirby

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KEX. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its stake in Kirby by 2,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in Kirby by 537.5% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in Kirby by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in Kirby by 182.9% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 430 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 18.2% in the first quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 520 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.