Strs Ohio Purchases 56,653 Shares of Kirby Corporation $KEX

Key Points

• Strs Ohio sharply increased its stake in Kirby Corporation, buying 56,653 additional shares in Q1 and boosting its holdings by 4,237.3% to 57,990 shares valued at about $7.7 million.
• Kirby reported solid quarterly results, posting earnings of $1.50 per share versus the $1.41 consensus and revenue of $844.1 million, up 7.4% year over year. The company also reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of 6.650-7.280.
• Analysts remain generally positive on KEX, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $146.20. Recent updates included price-target increases from BTIG and Citigroup, while insiders sold shares during the quarter.

Strs Ohio raised its holdings in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 4,237.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 57,990 shares of the shipping company's stock after buying an additional 56,653 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio owned about 0.11% of Kirby worth $7,706,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of KEX. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in Kirby during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its holdings in Kirby by 2,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Kirby by 537.5% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 182.9% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 430 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.15% of the company's stock.

Kirby Trading Up 0.1%

KEX opened at $129.99 on Monday. 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 Corporation has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $157.69. The stock has a market cap of $6.95 billion, a PE ratio of 20.00, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a 50 day moving average of $142.67 and a 200-day moving average of $132.47.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $844.10 million for 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 firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.33 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Kirby Corporation will post 6.99 earnings per share 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 company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were 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 approximately $1,572,680.02. This represents a 27.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 9 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,326.33. This represents a 98.69% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036 in the last quarter. 0.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research upgraded Kirby from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. BTIG Research raised their price target on Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kirby from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. 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 company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $146.20.

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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