Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Hold”

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kirby (NYSE:KEX) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Saturday morning.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on KEX. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings cut Kirby from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup raised their price target on Kirby from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.20.

Kirby Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of KEX opened at $131.34 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $139.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $136.48. Kirby has a 12-month low of $79.51 and a 12-month high of $157.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $7.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.84.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.04. Kirby had a net margin of 10.18% and a return on equity of 10.44%. The company had revenue of $922.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $870.38 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. Kirby’s 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. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Kirby will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total transaction of $99,916.86. Following the sale, the vice president owned 9 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,326.33. This trade represents a 98.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,287 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.93, for a total value of $1,647,111.91. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 15,965 shares of company stock valued at $2,328,749 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its stake in Kirby by 2,600.0% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 50.0% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 182.9% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 430 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 18.2% in the 1st 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 during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

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.