Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Bank of America Analyst Says

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Bank of America from $169.00 to $182.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the shipping company’s stock. Bank of America‘s price target points to a potential upside of 35.79% from the stock’s current price.

KEX has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 13th. Zacks Research raised shares of Kirby from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup upped their price target on Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Kirby from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Five 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $161.20.

Kirby Trading Up 0.8%

KEX opened at $134.03 on Wednesday. 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 has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $157.69. The stock has a market cap of $7.17 billion, a PE ratio of 20.62, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a 50 day moving average of $141.98 and a 200-day moving average of $132.81.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $844.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $832.57 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.62% and a net margin of 10.51%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.33 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Kirby will post 6.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In other news, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.43, for a total value of $581,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 10,814 shares in the company, valued at $1,572,680.02. This represents a 27.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 represents a 98.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 17,691 shares of company stock worth $2,579,036. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kirby

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Maseco LLP purchased a new position in Kirby during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kirby by 2,600.0% during the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 258 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Kirby during the third quarter valued at about $56,000. 96.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.