Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 6.650-7.280 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 6.860. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Kirby Stock Performance

KEX traded down $2.09 during trading on Thursday, reaching $150.50. 1,051,212 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 657,098. Kirby has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $157.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $136.19 and a 200 day moving average of $120.32. The stock has a market cap of $8.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.78, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.83.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $844.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $835.12 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.53% and a net margin of 10.54%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.33 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Kirby will post 6.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on KEX. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kirby from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. BTIG Research increased their price objective on Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Kirby from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. 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.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $142.20.

Insider Activity at Kirby

In other Kirby news, CEO David W. Grzebinski sold 34,152 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.05, for a total transaction of $4,441,467.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 98,241 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,776,242.05. The trade was a 25.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.68, for a total transaction of $477,892.80. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $430,224.20. This trade represents a 52.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 71,495 shares of company stock worth $9,226,173. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Kirby

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Kirby reported $1.50 EPS (vs. ~$1.42 consensus) and $844.1M revenue (revs +7.4% YoY), showing operational strength this quarter. Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY 2026 EPS growth guidance to 5%–15% (up from 0%–12%) and set an EPS range of $6.65–$7.28, signaling confidence in underlying demand. Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Capital allocation: Kirby repurchased $52.7M of stock in Q1 and completed a $95.8M acquisition of 23 barges (including specialty units), supporting fleet growth and shareholder returns. Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst reaction: BTIG raised its price target to $170 and reiterated a Buy rating, providing third?party validation of upside versus current levels. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Street commentary: Seeking Alpha notes inland pricing strengthening, a positive demand signal, but calls out fuel cost exposure and OEM timing issues that could cause quarter-to-quarter variability. Kirby signals 2026 EPS up 5% to up 15% as inland pricing strengthens despite fuel and OEM timing headwinds
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call / transcript available for detail on forward drivers and risks — useful if you want management tone on demand, fuel, and capex timing. Kirby Corporation (KEX) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed guidance nuance: while growth guidance was raised, the FY EPS range midpoint sits near (or slightly under) consensus (~$6.86), and management highlighted fuel and OEM timing headwinds — a combination that can temper upside and explain intraday selling pressure. Kirby signals 2026 EPS up 5% to up 15% as inland pricing strengthens despite fuel and OEM timing headwinds

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kirby

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,484,508 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $273,745,000 after acquiring an additional 93,676 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 72.5% in the second 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. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 109.4% in the fourth 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. Select Equity Group L.P. increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $245,638,000 after acquiring an additional 211,231 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,932,146 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $212,884,000 after acquiring an additional 178,422 shares during the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.