Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Given New $170.00 Price Target at BTIG Research

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) had its target price increased by BTIG Research from $160.00 to $170.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the shipping company’s stock.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup lifted their target price on Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research upgraded Kirby from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Kirby from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $142.20.

Kirby Stock Down 1.4%

KEX opened at $150.50 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $8.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.53. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $136.19 and its 200 day moving average is $120.32. Kirby has a fifty-two week low of $79.51 and a fifty-two week high of $157.69.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.53% and a net margin of 10.54%.The business had revenue of $844.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $832.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.33 EPS. Kirby’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Kirby will post 6.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Kirby

In other news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.68, for a total transaction of $477,892.80. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 3,565 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $430,224.20. The trade was a 52.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 5,429 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $662,338.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 10,399 shares in the company, valued at $1,268,678. The trade was a 34.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 71,495 shares of company stock worth $9,226,173. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kirby

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in Kirby in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in Kirby in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 2,600.0% during the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 537.5% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 258 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Kirby by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Kirby

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — Kirby reported EPS $1.50 vs. consensus $1.41 and revenue $844.1M (up 7.4% y/y), showing near-term demand resilience. Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance raised — company lifted FY2026 EPS-growth guidance to 5%–15% (EPS range 6.65–7.28), signaling management confidence in underlying volumes/pricing. Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Capital return active — repurchased $52.7M of stock in Q1 at an average ~$123, supporting EPS and signaling management sees value. Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — BTIG raised its price target to $170 and reiterates a Buy, providing potential analyst-driven support. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Fleet investment — acquired 23 barges (including specialty units) and three high‑horsepower boats for $95.8M; supports capacity but is a capex/working capital item. Kirby Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Full disclosure materials — earnings presentation and call transcript are available for investors digging into segment trends and margin drivers. Kirby Corporation 2026 Q1 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation Kirby Corporation (KEX) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Operational headwinds flagged — management cited fuel and OEM-timing headwinds even as inland pricing strengthens; these factors could pressure margins and timing of full benefit. Kirby signals 2026 EPS up 5% to up 15% as inland pricing strengthens despite fuel and OEM timing headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance vs. consensus — company EPS range (6.65–7.28) overlaps consensus but has a lower floor than some analyst expectations (consensus ~6.86), which may cap near-term upside if macro or timing issues persist. Kirby earnings and guidance details

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.