Brokerages Set Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) PT at $162.20

Shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $162.20.

A number of research firms recently commented on KEX. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 13th.

Kirby Price Performance

Shares of Kirby stock opened at $148.61 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $141.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $135.10. Kirby has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $157.69. The stock has a market cap of $7.95 billion, a PE ratio of 22.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.83.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.09. Kirby had a net margin of 10.51% and a return on equity of 10.62%. The company had revenue of $844.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $832.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.33 EPS. Kirby’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kirby will post 7.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total transaction of $250,287.26. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 8,673 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,257,671.73. The trade was a 16.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total value of $99,916.86. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036 over the last ninety days. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KEX. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Kirby by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,917 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $255,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC raised 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 buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 739 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $81,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 5,179 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $571,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Kirby

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.