Axiom Investors LLC DE Has $12.57 Million Position in Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX)

Axiom Investors LLC DE raised its stake in shares of Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) by 33.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 118,768 shares of the shipping company’s stock after purchasing an additional 29,736 shares during the period. Axiom Investors LLC DE’s holdings in Kirby were worth $12,566,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of KEX. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Kirby during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC increased its position in Kirby by 38.8% in the 3rd quarter. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC now owns 833 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $102,000 after buying an additional 233 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,746 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $185,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares during the period. Finally, Hilltop Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 3rd quarter worth $202,000. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Kirby

In other Kirby news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.61, for a total value of $133,866.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,545 shares in the company, valued at approximately $596,697.45. The trade was a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KEX has been the topic of several research reports. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America cut their target price on Kirby from $133.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.75.

Kirby Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KEX opened at $100.77 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $104.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $113.62. Kirby Co. has a fifty-two week low of $93.63 and a fifty-two week high of $132.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.05.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by ($0.01). Kirby had a return on equity of 9.71% and a net margin of 8.78%. As a group, analysts predict that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Kirby

Kirby Corporation operates domestic tank barges in the United States. Its Marine Transportation segment provides marine transportation service and towing vessel transporting bulk liquid product, as well as operates tank barge throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, coastwise along three United States coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii.