Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 6.330-7.090 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 6.580. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Kirby Price Performance

Kirby stock opened at $117.41 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $103.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.55, a PEG ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Kirby has a 52-week low of $79.51 and a 52-week high of $132.18.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The shipping company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.62 by $0.06. Kirby had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 10.55%. The firm had revenue of $851.78 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $857.82 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.29 earnings per share. Kirby’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Kirby will post 6.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In related news, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 2,715 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.29, for a total value of $299,437.35. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 10,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,138,744.25. This represents a 20.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Amy D. Husted sold 10,413 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.42, for a total transaction of $1,118,564.46. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 11,760 shares in the company, valued at $1,263,259.20. This trade represents a 46.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 57,147 shares of company stock worth $6,204,544. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Kirby

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat expectations — Kirby reported $1.68 EPS vs. $1.62 consensus, confirming improved profitability (net margin ~9.2%). Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported a record year: utilization improvement in inland marine, stronger coastal margins and a sequential +10% jump in power?generation revenue; management also repurchased ~1.03M shares and paid down ~$130M of debt. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Power?generation segment strength and marine pricing dynamics are driving the outlook, supporting upside if large project wins continue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Citigroup raised its price target to $147 with a Buy rating, signaling continued upside from some institutional analysts. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recent inflows reported into KEX suggest fund buying helped bid the stock higher earlier in the week. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG trimmed its target to $135 but kept a Buy rating — still implying upside, though slightly less optimistic than peers. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings materials and call transcripts are available (useful for modeling forward margins and backlog; see transcripts/slide deck). Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates ($851.8M vs. ~$857.8M expected), which may temper enthusiasm given the stretched valuation after a recent run. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation scrutiny — pieces asking whether KEX is “expensive for a reason” highlight investor concern that strong fundamentals must outpace a higher multiple to justify the price. Article Title

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised 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 valued at $258,900,000 after purchasing an additional 959,209 shares during the period. Appian Way Asset Management LP increased its position in shares of Kirby by 335.8% during the 3rd quarter. Appian Way Asset Management LP now owns 675,546 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $56,374,000 after purchasing an additional 520,535 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in Kirby by 108.4% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 839,662 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $70,070,000 after buying an additional 436,735 shares during the period. Select Equity Group L.P. lifted its position in Kirby by 10.8% in 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 buying an additional 211,231 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Kirby by 214.7% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 265,001 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $22,114,000 after buying an additional 180,794 shares during the period. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.