Sanctuary Advisors LLC Makes New $1.73 Million Investment in Kirby Corporation $KEX

Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 12,711 shares of the shipping company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,728,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of KEX. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Kirby in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $733,274,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 5.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,617,538 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $347,829,000 after acquiring an additional 133,030 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 92.0% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,612,119 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $287,803,000 after acquiring an additional 1,251,700 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 72.5% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,282,865 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $258,900,000 after acquiring an additional 959,209 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 109.4% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,256,667 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $248,640,000 after acquiring an additional 1,178,963 shares during the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kirby Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of Kirby stock opened at $139.26 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.68. Kirby Corporation has a 52-week low of $79.51 and a 52-week high of $157.69. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $138.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $137.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.84.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last posted its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $922.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $870.38 million. Kirby had a net margin of 10.18% and a return on equity of 10.44%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.67 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Kirby Corporation will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on KEX. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Kirby from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America raised their price objective on Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $163.20.

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.