Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Kirby's rating from "strong sell" to "hold" and projected earnings of $2.07 EPS for Q4 2026 and $7.20 EPS for FY2026.
• Bank of America lowered their price target on Kirby from $110.00 to $107.00, while maintaining a "buy" rating on the stock, which currently holds a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."
• Kirby reported earnings of $1.67 EPS for the last quarter, which exceeded estimates and represented a 3.8% year-over-year revenue increase.

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Wednesday, September 3rd,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Kirby's Q4 2026 earnings at $2.07 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $7.20 EPS.

Separately, Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Kirby from $110.00 to $107.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $121.00.

Kirby Price Performance

KEX traded down $1.10 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $86.77. 221,546 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 651,840. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Kirby has a one year low of $83.94 and a one year high of $132.21. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $105.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $104.03.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The shipping company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $855.46 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $851.94 million. Kirby had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 10.02%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.43 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Kirby will post 6.57 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kirby

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its position in Kirby by 244.8% in the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 231 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC increased its position in Kirby by 295.3% in the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 253 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company's stock.

Kirby Company Profile

Kirby Corporation operates domestic tank barges in the United States. Its Marine Transportation segment provides marine transportation service and towing vessel transporting bulk liquid product, as well as operates tank barge throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, coastwise along three United States coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii.