Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Receives “Buy” Rating from BTIG Research

Posted by Geri Gentry on Jul 29th, 2026

Kirby (NYSE:KEX – Get Free Report)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at BTIG Research in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $170.00 price target on the shipping company’s stock. BTIG Research’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 24.37% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Kirby from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $162.20.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Kirby

Kirby Stock Down 6.0%

Shares of Kirby stock traded down $8.70 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $136.69. 200,276 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 698,083. Kirby has a 1 year low of $79.51 and a 1 year high of $157.69. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $141.47 and its 200 day moving average is $136.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.59. The firm has a market cap of $7.31 billion, a PE ratio of 21.10, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.83.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.04. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.62% and a net margin of 10.51%.The business’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.67 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Kirby will post 7.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,287 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.93, for a total transaction of $1,647,111.91. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the vice president owned 9 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,326.33. The trade was a 98.69% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 17,691 shares of company stock worth $2,579,036. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kirby

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KEX. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Kirby by 92.0% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,612,119 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $287,803,000 after acquiring an additional 1,251,700 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Kirby by 109.4% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,256,667 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $248,640,000 after purchasing an additional 1,178,963 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 72.5% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,282,865 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $258,900,000 after purchasing an additional 959,209 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the 4th quarter valued at about $81,355,000. Finally, Appian Way Asset Management LP boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 335.8% in the 3rd quarter. Appian Way Asset Management LP now owns 675,546 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $56,374,000 after purchasing an additional 520,535 shares during the period. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kirby Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.