HighTower Advisors LLC Buys 15,406 Shares of Kirby Corporation $KEX

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors increased its Kirby stake by 78% in the second quarter, acquiring 15,406 additional shares for a total of 35,155 shares valued at approximately $4.78 million. Institutional investors collectively own 96.15% of Kirby.
• Kirby reported quarterly EPS of $1.67, exceeding estimates of $1.63, while revenue rose 7.8% year over year to $922.4 million, above the $870.4 million consensus forecast.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with five Buy ratings and two Holds, a “Moderate Buy” consensus, and an average price target of $163.20 versus the stock’s reported price of $139.36.

HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 78.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 35,155 shares of the shipping company's stock after acquiring an additional 15,406 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Kirby worth $4,780,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of KEX. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kirby by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,917 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,811 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $374,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Kirby by 18.2% during the 1st quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 520 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Kirby by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in Kirby by 18.4% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,079 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. 96.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kirby Stock Performance

KEX opened at $139.36 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $7.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.44, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.86. The company's 50 day moving average is $139.36 and its 200 day moving average is $138.96. Kirby Corporation has a 12-month low of $79.51 and a 12-month high of $157.69.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $922.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $870.38 million. Kirby had a net margin of 10.18% and a return on equity of 10.44%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.67 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Kirby Corporation will post 7.11 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on KEX. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Kirby from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Kirby from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Kirby from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Kirby has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.20.

Kirby Company Profile

Kirby Corporation is a marine transportation and industrial services company headquartered in Houston, Texas. Through its marine transportation operations, the company moves bulk liquid products, including petroleum products, chemicals, and agricultural commodities, primarily in the United States.

Kirby operates one of the largest fleets of inland and coastal tank barges in the United States. Its marine transportation network serves the Mississippi River System, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the Gulf of Mexico, and other U.S.

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