Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of Kirby Q2 Earnings

Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research decreased their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for Kirby in a report released on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the shipping company will post earnings of $1.71 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.76. The consensus estimate for Kirby’s current full-year earnings is $6.57 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Kirby’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.74 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.87 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.75 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.84 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.14 EPS.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on KEX. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Kirby in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup upped their price objective on Kirby from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen raised Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Evercore boosted their target price on shares of Kirby from $109.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Kirby presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $129.40.

Kirby Stock Performance

Shares of KEX stock opened at $124.87 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.73, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.88. Kirby has a 52-week low of $79.51 and a 52-week high of $132.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company’s 50 day moving average is $118.76 and its 200 day moving average is $104.03.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The shipping company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.06. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.55% and a net margin of 10.54%.The company had revenue of $851.78 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $857.82 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.29 earnings per share. Kirby’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kirby by 2.4% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,667,853 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $472,982,000 after acquiring an additional 134,261 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kirby by 92.0% in 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 during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Kirby by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,484,508 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $273,745,000 after purchasing an additional 93,676 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in shares of Kirby by 72.5% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,282,865 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $258,900,000 after purchasing an additional 959,209 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Kirby by 109.4% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,256,667 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $248,640,000 after purchasing an additional 1,178,963 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Kirby

In related news, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.68, for a total transaction of $1,244,673.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 14,835 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,656,772.80. This trade represents a 42.90% 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, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 5,429 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $662,338.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 10,399 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,268,678. This represents a 34.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 63,898 shares of company stock worth $7,081,741 in the last quarter. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Kirby News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 EPS estimate for Kirby sharply (from $1.60 to $1.84) and projects stronger long‑run earnings (FY2028 EPS forecast of $9.14), which supports a higher near‑term valuation and helped push the stock up.
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlights improving shareholder returns and favorable fundamentals following Kirby’s January quarter that beat EPS expectations — a boost for investor confidence. Returns At Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Are On The Way Up
• Neutral Sentiment: Background: Kirby reported a January quarter EPS beat and revenue growth; consensus and longer‑term analyst coverage remain mostly constructive (consensus FY2026 ~6.57 EPS, MarketBeat consensus “Moderate Buy”), which provides underlying support to the share price.
• Negative Sentiment: In the same Zacks note, analysts trimmed several 2026 quarterly EPS estimates and reduced FY2026 from $6.97 to $6.75 — these downward revisions introduce some short‑term uncertainty around near‑term earnings momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks added KEX to its Rank #5 (Strong Sell) list on Feb 13, which can trigger short‑term selling pressure from momentum or model‑driven funds. New Strong Sell Stocks for February 13th
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Two Kirby VPs disclosed sizable sales (William Woodruff sold 2,000 shares; Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares). Large insider sells can be interpreted negatively by the market even if they’re routine. Insider Sales Filing

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.