Arete Wealth Advisors LLC Buys Shares of 21,070 Kirby Corporation $KEX

Key Points

• Arete Wealth Advisors acquired 21,070 Kirby shares worth approximately $2.8 million, while institutional investors collectively own 96.15% of the company.
• Kirby exceeded quarterly expectations with EPS of $1.67 versus $1.63 expected and revenue of $922.4 million, up 7.8% year over year. Management maintained 2026 EPS guidance of $7.28.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $163.20 price target, although insiders sold roughly $2.6 million of stock over the past 90 days.

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 21,070 shares of the shipping company's stock, valued at approximately $2,798,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Maseco LLP purchased a new position in Kirby during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its holdings in Kirby by 2,600.0% during the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Kirby by 537.5% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in Kirby by 50.0% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kirby by 182.9% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 430 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the period. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In related news, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total transaction of $99,916.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 9 shares in the company, valued at $1,326.33. The trade was a 98.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.43, for a total transaction of $581,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 10,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,572,680.02. The trade was a 27.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 17,691 shares of company stock worth $2,579,036 over the last ninety days. 0.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Kirby Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of KEX stock opened at $131.34 on Friday. Kirby Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $79.51 and a fifty-two week high of $157.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.03 billion, a PE ratio of 20.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.83. 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 stock's 50-day simple moving average is $140.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $136.25.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.04. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.49% and a net margin of 10.18%.The firm had revenue of $922.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $870.38 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.67 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Kirby Corporation will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Kirby from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 13th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Kirby from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a report on Wednesday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.20.

More Kirby News

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

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.

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