UBS Group AG Has $9.66 Million Stock Holdings in Kirby Corporation $KEX

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its Kirby Corporation stake by 66.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 177,334 shares and leaving it with 87,667 shares valued at about $9.66 million.
• Kirby reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.50 versus estimates of $1.41 and revenue of $844.1 million versus $832.57 million expected. The company also kept FY2026 guidance at 6.65–7.28 EPS.
• Analysts remain mixed: Zacks raised longer-term EPS estimates for Kirby but kept a Hold rating, while the broader consensus from MarketBeat is a Moderate Buy with a $146.20 price target.

UBS Group AG decreased its position in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 66.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 87,667 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 177,334 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.16% of Kirby worth $9,659,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KEX. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in shares of Kirby by 72.5% during the 2nd 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 last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. bought a new stake in shares of Kirby during the 4th quarter valued at $58,385,000. Appian Way Asset Management LP raised its position in shares of Kirby by 335.8% during the 3rd quarter. Appian Way Asset Management LP now owns 675,546 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $56,374,000 after acquiring an additional 520,535 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kirby by 108.4% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 839,662 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $70,070,000 after acquiring an additional 436,735 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Kirby by 438.7% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 271,499 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $22,657,000 after acquiring an additional 221,100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.15% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Kirby

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $6.97 from $6.77, suggesting stronger expected full-year profitability. Assessing Kirby (KEX) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: The firm also lifted FY2027 EPS estimates to $8.27 from $8.04, reinforcing a stronger multi-year earnings growth story. Assessing Kirby (KEX) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: FY2028 EPS was still estimated at $9.05, which indicates Zacks sees continued earnings growth over the next few years. Assessing Kirby (KEX) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Some near-term estimates were lowered, including Q2 2026 EPS to $1.65 from $1.71 and Q1 2027 EPS to $1.76 from $1.81, which tempers the bullish longer-term view. Assessing Kirby (KEX) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks kept a Hold rating on Kirby, so the firm is not signaling an outright buy despite the improved estimates. Assessing Kirby (KEX) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: The reduced short-term forecasts may weigh on sentiment if investors are focused on the next few quarters rather than the long-term growth outlook. Assessing Kirby (KEX) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum

Insider Activity at Kirby

In other news, CFO Raj Kumar sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.70, for a total transaction of $398,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 4,494 shares in the company, valued at $596,353.80. This represents a 40.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total transaction of $250,287.26. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 8,673 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,257,671.73. This represents a 16.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 61,832 shares of company stock worth $8,092,470. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Kirby Price Performance

KEX stock opened at $145.65 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $138.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.30. The stock has a market cap of $7.79 billion, a PE ratio of 22.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Kirby Corporation has a 1 year low of $79.51 and a 1 year high of $157.69.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.09. The firm 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 company's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.33 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Kirby Corporation will post 6.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on KEX shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Kirby from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $136.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, January 30th. BTIG Research upped their target price on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kirby from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $146.20.

Kirby 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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