Kirby (NYSE:KEX) VP Ronald Dragg Sells 1,726 Shares

Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) VP Ronald Dragg sold 1,726 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total value of $250,287.26. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 8,673 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,257,671.73. This trade represents a 16.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Kirby Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of KEX traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $143.54. The company had a trading volume of 171,824 shares, compared to its average volume of 761,336. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $136.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Kirby Corporation has a 52-week low of $79.51 and a 52-week high of $157.69. The firm has a market cap of $7.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.85.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $844.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $832.57 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 10.51%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Kirby Corporation will post 6.89 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KEX. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Kirby by 92.0% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,612,119 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $287,803,000 after purchasing an additional 1,251,700 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Kirby by 109.4% during 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 period. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its holdings in Kirby by 72.5% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,282,865 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $258,900,000 after purchasing an additional 959,209 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Kirby during the 4th quarter valued at about $81,355,000. Finally, Congress Asset Management Co. purchased a new position in Kirby during the 4th quarter valued at about $58,385,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on KEX. Weiss Ratings raised Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research note on Friday. BTIG Research lifted their price target on Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $146.20.

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.