Kirby's (KEX) "Buy" Rating Reiterated at BTIG Research

Key Points

• BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating on Kirby, setting a $170 price target that implies about 19% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive overall, with multiple firms recently raising targets or upgrading the stock; MarketBeat shows a Moderate Buy consensus and a $162.20 average target.
• Kirby’s latest earnings beat expectations, reporting $1.50 EPS on $844.1 million in revenue, while management issued FY2026 EPS guidance of $6.65 to $7.28.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at BTIG Research in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $170.00 price objective on the shipping company's stock. BTIG Research's target price points to a potential upside of 19.20% from the stock's previous close.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kirby from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $158.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kirby from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $162.20.

Kirby Stock Down 0.8%

KEX stock opened at $142.62 on Tuesday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $141.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $133.68. The company has a market capitalization of $7.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.83. Kirby has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $157.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share (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 10.62%. The business had revenue of $844.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $832.57 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.33 earnings per share. 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. On average, analysts forecast that Kirby will post 7.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the business'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 sale, the vice president owned 9 shares in the company, valued at $1,326.33. The trade was a 98.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total transaction of $250,287.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,673 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,257,671.73. This represents a 16.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 17,691 shares of company stock worth $2,579,036. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KEX. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its position in Kirby by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 15,100 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $2,053,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kirby by 34.2% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 890 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $121,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Kirby by 824.5% in the second quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 2,718 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $370,000 after purchasing an additional 2,424 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby in the first quarter worth approximately $281,000. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 20.9% during the first quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 5,023 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $667,000 after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.15% 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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