Arete Wealth Advisors LLC Buys Shares of 22,169 Kirby Corporation $KEX

Key Points

• Arete Wealth Advisors acquired 22,169 Kirby shares worth approximately $2.9 million, while institutional investors collectively own 96.15% of the company.
• Kirby exceeded quarterly expectations with $1.50 in EPS and $844.1 million in revenue, up 7.4% year over year; full-year 2026 guidance is $6.65–$7.28 in EPS.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with six Buy ratings and one Hold rating producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $162.20, although insiders have sold $2.58 million in shares over the past 90 days.

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 22,169 shares of the shipping company's stock, valued at approximately $2,918,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Kirby by 11.1% during the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 17,716 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $2,354,000 after purchasing an additional 1,768 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Kirby by 20.2% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 27,966 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $3,715,000 after buying an additional 4,694 shares during the period. Rokos Capital Management LLP purchased a new stake in Kirby in the 1st quarter worth $9,910,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Kirby in the 1st quarter worth $281,000. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Kirby by 32.2% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 39,392 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $5,234,000 after acquiring an additional 9,588 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.15% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, COO Christian G. O'neil sold 11,287 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.93, for a total transaction of $1,647,111.91. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total value of $250,287.26. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 8,673 shares in the company, valued at $1,257,671.73. This represents a 16.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 17,691 shares of company stock worth $2,579,036. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Kirby Price Performance

Kirby stock opened at $145.77 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $7.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.83. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $141.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $136.20. Kirby Corporation has a 1 year low of $79.51 and a 1 year high of $157.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.09. Kirby had a net margin of 10.51% and a return on equity of 10.62%. The business had revenue of $844.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $832.57 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.33 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Kirby Corporation will post 7.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KEX has been the subject of several research reports. Bank of America increased 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. Weiss Ratings raised Kirby from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup increased their price target on Kirby from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Six equities research 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.com, Kirby presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $162.20.

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.

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