Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Trading Down 8% – Time to Sell?

Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) shares dropped 8% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $132.63 and last traded at $133.7290. Approximately 526,904 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 25% from the average session volume of 700,713 shares. The stock had previously closed at $145.39.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 13th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kirby presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $162.20.

Kirby Trading Up 1.0%

The company has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.37, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $140.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $136.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total transaction of $99,916.86. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 9 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,326.33. This represents a 98.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total transaction of $250,287.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 8,673 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,257,671.73. This trade represents a 16.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KEX. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in Kirby in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its stake in Kirby by 2,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kirby by 537.5% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Kirby by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in Kirby by 182.9% in the first 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 in the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.