Janus Henderson Group PLC Sells 78,285 Shares of Kirby Corporation $KEX

Janus Henderson Group PLC reduced its stake in Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) by 14.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 480,015 shares of the shipping company’s stock after selling 78,285 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned about 0.90% of Kirby worth $63,785,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Kirby by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,917 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kirby by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,811 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $374,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 18.2% during 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 in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 739 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in Kirby by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 5,179 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $571,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total value of $99,916.86. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 9 shares in the company, valued at $1,326.33. This represents a 98.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,287 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.93, for a total transaction of $1,647,111.91. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kirby

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $165 to $170 and upgraded Kirby to “Buy,” implying substantial potential appreciation from the current trading level. Benzinga analyst price-target update
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG Research also assigned Kirby a Buy rating, adding to the positive analyst sentiment surrounding the stock. Kirby earns Buy rating from BTIG Research
• Positive Sentiment: Kirby’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $1.67 versus the $1.63 consensus and revenue of $922.4 million versus $870.4 million expected. Revenue increased 7.8% year over year, supporting the company’s growth narrative. Kirby Q2 2026 earnings highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Management indicated that full-year earnings growth could reach the upper end of its 5%–15% range, while the power-generation backlog rose to approximately $1 billion–$1.5 billion. Robust marine demand also remains a supportive factor. Kirby full-year outlook and power backlog
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Kirby as a strong momentum stock, while its consensus price target suggests meaningful upside. However, Zacks cautioned that price targets alone have limited predictive value unless supported by improving earnings estimates. Why Kirby is a strong momentum stock
• Negative Sentiment: A report specifically addressing why Kirby shares are sliding indicates that investors may be selling the stock despite the earnings beat and positive guidance, potentially reflecting valuation concerns or profit-taking. Why Kirby shares are sliding

Kirby Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:KEX opened at $131.34 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $140.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $136.25. The firm has a market cap of $7.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.21, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.59. Kirby Corporation has a 52-week low of $79.51 and a 52-week high of $157.69.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $922.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $870.38 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.49% and a net margin of 10.18%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.67 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Kirby Corporation will post 7.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Bank of America boosted their price target on Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Kirby from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.20.

Kirby 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.