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

Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $146.20.

Several research firms recently weighed in on KEX. Zacks Research raised Kirby from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $136.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $158.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, BTIG Research increased their target price on Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In related news, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total transaction of $99,916.86. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 9 shares in the company, valued at $1,326.33. This trade represents a 98.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,287 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.93, for a total transaction of $1,647,111.91. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 31,978 shares of company stock worth $4,470,858 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KEX. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its position in Kirby by 20.9% during the first quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 5,023 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $667,000 after acquiring an additional 869 shares during the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kirby during the 1st quarter valued at about $2,798,000. Bull Harbor Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kirby during the 1st quarter valued at about $243,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 11.1% during the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 17,716 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,354,000 after purchasing an additional 1,768 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 20.2% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 27,966 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,715,000 after purchasing an additional 4,694 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Kirby Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KEX opened at $140.66 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $142.13 and a 200-day moving average of $127.30. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.01 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. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.53 billion, a PE ratio of 21.64, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.85.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $844.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $832.57 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.62% and a net margin of 10.51%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.33 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Kirby will post 6.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.