Kirby Corporation $KEX Shares Bought by Sei Investments Co.

Key Points

• Sei Investments increased its Kirby stake by 246.4% in the first quarter, owning 221,757 shares worth about $29.5 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 96.15% of KEX.
• Kirby exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.50 in EPS versus the $1.41 consensus and $844.1 million in revenue, up 7.4% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $6.65–$7.28.
• Analyst sentiment is positive, with six Buy ratings and one Hold rating producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $162.20, above the reported $145 opening price.

Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 246.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 221,757 shares of the shipping company's stock after buying an additional 157,735 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. owned about 0.41% of Kirby worth $29,467,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of KEX. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Kirby by 5.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,617,538 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $347,829,000 after buying an additional 133,030 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in Kirby by 92.0% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,612,119 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $287,803,000 after acquiring an additional 1,251,700 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in Kirby by 72.5% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,282,865 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $258,900,000 after acquiring an additional 959,209 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 1,178,963 shares during the period. Finally, Select Equity Group L.P. boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 10.8% during the 2nd quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 2,165,929 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $245,638,000 after purchasing an additional 211,231 shares in the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kirby Stock Down 2.5%

Kirby stock opened at $145.00 on Tuesday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $7.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.83. Kirby Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $79.51 and a fifty-two week high of $157.69. The stock's fifty day moving average is $141.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $136.04.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In other Kirby news, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 10,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,572,680.02. This trade represents a 27.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total transaction of $99,916.86. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 9 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,326.33. This trade represents a 98.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kirby from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Kirby from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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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