Janus Henderson Group PLC Decreases Position in Kirby Corporation $KEX

Janus Henderson Group PLC lessened its stake in Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) by 14.0% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 480,015 shares of the shipping company’s stock after selling 78,285 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in Kirby were worth $63,785,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in Kirby by 92.0% during the fourth 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 raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 109.4% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,256,667 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $248,640,000 after buying an additional 1,178,963 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 959,209 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Kirby during the 4th quarter valued at $81,355,000. Finally, Appian Way Asset Management LP grew its stake in shares of Kirby by 335.8% during the 3rd quarter. Appian Way Asset Management LP now owns 675,546 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $56,374,000 after acquiring an additional 520,535 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kirby

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $165 to $170 and upgraded Kirby to “Buy,” implying substantial potential appreciation from the current trading level. Benzinga analyst price-target update
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG Research also assigned Kirby a Buy rating, adding to the positive analyst sentiment surrounding the stock. Kirby earns Buy rating from BTIG Research
• Positive Sentiment: Kirby’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $1.67 versus the $1.63 consensus and revenue of $922.4 million versus $870.4 million expected. Revenue increased 7.8% year over year, supporting the company’s growth narrative. Kirby Q2 2026 earnings highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Management indicated that full-year earnings growth could reach the upper end of its 5%–15% range, while the power-generation backlog rose to approximately $1 billion–$1.5 billion. Robust marine demand also remains a supportive factor. Kirby full-year outlook and power backlog
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Kirby as a strong momentum stock, while its consensus price target suggests meaningful upside. However, Zacks cautioned that price targets alone have limited predictive value unless supported by improving earnings estimates. Why Kirby is a strong momentum stock
• Negative Sentiment: A report specifically addressing why Kirby shares are sliding indicates that investors may be selling the stock despite the earnings beat and positive guidance, potentially reflecting valuation concerns or profit-taking. Why Kirby shares are sliding

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on KEX. Wall Street Zen raised Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Kirby from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.20.

Kirby Stock Performance

NYSE:KEX opened at $131.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.59. 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 $7.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.21, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.83. The business’s fifty day moving average is $140.62 and its 200 day moving average is $136.25.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 10,814 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,572,680.02. This represents a 27.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the firm’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 ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

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.