Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX – Free Report) by 42.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 166,734 shares of the shipping company’s stock after purchasing an additional 50,092 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.31% of Kirby worth $22,156,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of KEX. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 92.0% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,612,119 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $287,803,000 after purchasing an additional 1,251,700 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Kirby by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,484,508 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $273,745,000 after buying an additional 93,676 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in Kirby by 72.5% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,282,865 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $258,900,000 after buying an additional 959,209 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Kirby by 109.4% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,256,667 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $248,640,000 after acquiring an additional 1,178,963 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Select Equity Group L.P. grew its position in Kirby by 10.8% in the second quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 2,165,929 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $245,638,000 after acquiring an additional 211,231 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $158.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Kirby currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $162.20.
Kirby Stock Performance
NYSE:KEX opened at $148.61 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $7.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $141.38 and its 200-day moving average is $135.10. Kirby Corporation has a 1-year low of $79.51 and a 1-year high of $157.69.
Kirby (NYSE:KEX – Get Free Report) last released 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. The company 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 revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.33 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kirby Corporation will post 7.06 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby
In other news, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total transaction of $99,916.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 9 shares in the company, valued at $1,326.33. This trade represents a 98.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the business’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 owned 8,673 shares in the company, valued at $1,257,671.73. This trade represents a 16.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 17,691 shares of company stock worth $2,579,036 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.80% 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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Kirby
- Confidence Is Back, But Earnings Show the Consumer Is Being Picky
- AeroVironment’s Stock Is Down, But Drone Demand Is Taking Off
- 3M’s Redemption Arc: Can Q2 Earnings Change the Narrative?
- 3 Photonics Companies Making Quantum Tech Possible
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KEX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Kirby Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kirby and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
