Hodges Capital Management Inc. Sells 78,699 Shares of Kirby Corporation $KEX

Hodges Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) by 42.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 104,921 shares of the shipping company’s stock after selling 78,699 shares during the period. Kirby makes up 1.0% of Hodges Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Hodges Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Kirby were worth $11,560,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in Kirby in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Kirby by 50.0% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Kirby in the 3rd quarter valued at $56,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in Kirby by 21.0% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 932 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Zacks Research raised Kirby from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. BTIG Research upped their price objective on Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Citigroup upped their price objective on Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kirby presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $146.20.

Kirby Stock Performance

KEX opened at $139.90 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $7.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.81. Kirby Corporation has a 52-week low of $79.51 and a 52-week high of $157.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.59. The business’s fifty day moving average is $143.55 and its 200-day moving average is $129.36.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $844.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $832.57 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.62% and a net margin of 10.51%.Kirby’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.33 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Kirby Corporation will post 6.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,287 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.93, for a total value of $1,647,111.91. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.43, for a total value of $581,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 10,814 shares in the company, valued at $1,572,680.02. This trade represents a 27.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

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.