Vanguard Group Inc. Trims Stake in Kirby Corporation $KEX

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its stake in Kirby by 4.2% in Q4, selling 239,540 shares and now holds 5,428,313 shares (about 10.02%) valued at roughly $598.1 million.
• Kirby beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $1.50 and revenue of $844.1 million (+7.4% YoY) and raised FY2026 guidance to EPS 6.65–7.28 with an EPS growth range of 5%–15%.
• Insiders sold 71,495 shares worth about $9.23 million over the last three months, while hedge funds and other institutional investors own roughly 96.15% of the stock.

Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its stake in Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 4.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,428,313 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 239,540 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 10.02% of Kirby worth $598,092,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of KEX. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 72.5% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,282,865 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $258,900,000 after purchasing an additional 959,209 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby in the 4th quarter worth $58,385,000. Appian Way Asset Management LP increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 335.8% in the 3rd quarter. Appian Way Asset Management LP now owns 675,546 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $56,374,000 after purchasing an additional 520,535 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 108.4% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 839,662 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $70,070,000 after purchasing an additional 436,735 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 438.7% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 271,499 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $22,657,000 after purchasing an additional 221,100 shares in the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kirby Stock Up 0.1%

KEX opened at $147.30 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $136.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $120.86. Kirby Corporation has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $157.69. The company has a market capitalization of $7.90 billion, a PE ratio of 22.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.53 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, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.09. Kirby had a net margin of 10.51% and a return on equity of 10.65%. The business had revenue of $844.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $832.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. The business's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. Analysts forecast that Kirby Corporation will post 6.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In other Kirby news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 3,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at $430,224.20. This represents a 52.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Christian G. O'neil sold 11,287 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.34, for a total transaction of $1,493,721.58. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 11,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,493,721.58. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 71,495 shares of company stock worth $9,226,173. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Kirby News Roundup

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on KEX shares. Zacks Research upgraded Kirby from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. BTIG Research upped their target price on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $136.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KEX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.