Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) Shares Sold by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC lowered its stake in shares of Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 32.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,477 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 2,675 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC's holdings in Kirby were worth $639,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Kirby in the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kirby by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,746 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $185,000 after buying an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its position in shares of Kirby by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,781 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $188,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter worth about $257,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.15% of the company's stock.

Kirby Trading Down 1.6 %

Kirby stock traded down $1.55 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $96.65. 35,477 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 538,568. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.70, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $98.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $109.77. Kirby Co. has a fifty-two week low of $83.94 and a fifty-two week high of $132.21.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.30 by ($0.01). Kirby had a net margin of 8.78% and a return on equity of 9.71%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on KEX shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Kirby from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Bank of America cut their price target on Kirby from $133.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 28th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.61, for a total value of $133,866.84. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 5,545 shares in the company, valued at approximately $596,697.45. The trade was a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Kirby Company Profile

Kirby Corporation operates domestic tank barges in the United States. Its Marine Transportation segment provides marine transportation service and towing vessel transporting bulk liquid product, as well as operates tank barge throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, coastwise along three United States coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii.