Kirby Corporation $KEX Stock Position Cut by 12th Street Asset Management Company LLC

Key Points

• 12th Street Asset Management cut its Kirby holdings by 32.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 143,304 shares and leaving it with 298,053 shares valued at about $32.84 million.
• Kirby reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.50 versus expectations of $1.41 and revenue of $844.1 million, while raising full-year guidance to 6.650-7.280 EPS for FY 2026.
• Several analysts remain constructive on the stock, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $146.20, even as some firms recently downgraded shares to hold.

12th Street Asset Management Company LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 32.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 298,053 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 143,304 shares during the quarter. Kirby comprises about 5.4% of 12th Street Asset Management Company LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. 12th Street Asset Management Company LLC owned about 0.55% of Kirby worth $32,840,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in Kirby during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the 3rd quarter valued at about $53,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the 3rd quarter valued at about $56,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in Kirby by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 739 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Kirby during the fourth quarter worth approximately $102,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In related news, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.43, for a total value of $581,720.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 10,814 shares in the company, valued at $1,572,680.02. This represents a 27.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total value of $250,287.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,673 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,257,671.73. The trade was a 16.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 31,978 shares of company stock worth $4,470,858. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Kirby Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Kirby stock opened at $143.44 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.85. Kirby Corporation has a 52-week low of $79.51 and a 52-week high of $157.69. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $140.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $126.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $844.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $832.57 million. Kirby had a net margin of 10.51% and a return on equity of 10.62%. The firm's revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.33 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Kirby Corporation will post 6.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kirby from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $136.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kirby from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kirby from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $146.20.

About Kirby

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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