Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Lowers Stake in Kirby Corporation $KEX

Key Points

• Oppenheimer Asset Management cut its stake in Kirby by 33.6% in Q4 and now owns 69,819 shares (about $7.69M) after selling 35,299 shares.
• Kirby beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.50 vs $1.41; revenue $844.1M, +7.4% YoY), raised FY2026 guidance to 6.65–7.28 EPS, and returned $52.7M via buybacks while adding 23 barges to its fleet.
• Despite ~96.15% institutional ownership, insiders sold roughly 71,495 shares (about $9.23M) last quarter, leaving insiders with about 0.8% ownership.

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 33.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 69,819 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 35,299 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.13% of Kirby worth $7,693,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maseco LLP purchased a new position in Kirby during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in Kirby during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Kirby by 559.3% during the 3rd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 567 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Kirby during the 3rd quarter worth $53,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Kirby during the 3rd quarter worth $56,000. 96.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kirby Stock Down 2.2%

KEX stock opened at $147.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 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 moving average price is $136.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $120.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $844.10 million for 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 10.65%. The firm's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.33 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Kirby Corporation will post 6.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on KEX shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Kirby from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. BTIG Research lifted their target price on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kirby from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $146.20.

Kirby News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — EPS $1.50 and revenue up 7.4% YoY, topping estimates; underlying profitability remains solid, which supports earnings momentum. Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY2026 guidance (EPS range 6.65–7.28) and lifted the EPS growth range to 5%–15% (from 0%–12%), signaling stronger full‑year confidence. The company also returned $52.7M via buybacks and acquired 23 barges (strategic fleet expansion). Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: BTIG raised its price target to $170 and kept a Buy rating, providing third‑party validation of upside. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q1 disclosure and investor materials available (earnings release, slide deck, conference call/transcript) — useful for drilling into segment performance and seasonality but not a directional catalyst by itself. View Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Company flagged near‑term headwinds — fuel cost variability and OEM timing issues that could pressure margins or equipment availability; investors often punish uncertainty even when results beat. Kirby signals 2026 EPS up 5% to up 15% as inland pricing strengthens despite fuel and OEM timing headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance nuance: the FY EPS range (6.65–7.28) spans the Street estimate (~6.8), so some investors may view the midpoint as conservative or too wide, prompting profit‑taking after a prior run to near‑highs. Listen to Conference Call

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.68, for a total transaction of $477,892.80. Following the sale, the vice president owned 3,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $430,224.20. The trade was a 52.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Raj Kumar sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.70, for a total transaction of $398,100.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 4,494 shares in the company, valued at approximately $596,353.80. This represents a 40.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 71,495 shares of company stock valued at $9,226,173 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

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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