Insider Selling: Kirby (NYSE:KEX) VP Sells $99,916.86 in Stock

Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total value of $99,916.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 9 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,326.33. This trade represents a 98.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Kirby Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:KEX opened at $148.73 on Thursday. 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 $7.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.85. The business’s 50 day moving average is $139.73 and its 200 day moving average is $125.59. 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 (NYSE:KEX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.09. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.62% and a net margin of 10.51%.The company had revenue of $844.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $832.57 million. Kirby’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Kirby Corporation will post 6.99 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on KEX shares. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings cut Kirby from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. BTIG Research increased their target price on Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $146.20.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 537.5% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 50.0% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

About Kirby

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.