Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Price Target Raised to $170.00 at Citigroup

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Aug 1st, 2026

Kirby (NYSE:KEX – Free Report) had its price objective raised by Citigroup from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research note released on Friday,Benzinga reports. Citigroup currently has a buy rating on the shipping company’s stock.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kirby currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.20.

Get Our Latest Report on KEX

Kirby Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:KEX opened at $131.34 on Friday. Kirby has a 1 year low of $79.51 and a 1 year high of $157.69. The company has a market capitalization of $7.03 billion, a PE ratio of 20.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $140.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $136.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $922.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $870.38 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.49% and a net margin of 10.18%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.67 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. Analysts forecast that Kirby will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Kirby

In related news, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.43, for a total value of $581,720.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 10,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,572,680.02. The trade was a 27.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 678 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.37, for a total transaction of $99,916.86. Following the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Kirby by 92.0% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,612,119 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $287,803,000 after buying an additional 1,251,700 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Kirby by 109.4% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,256,667 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $248,640,000 after buying an additional 1,178,963 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 959,209 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter valued at $81,355,000. Finally, Appian Way Asset Management LP raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 335.8% during 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. Institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

More Kirby News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $165 to $170 and upgraded Kirby to “Buy,” implying substantial potential appreciation from the current trading level. Benzinga analyst price-target update
Positive Sentiment: BTIG Research also assigned Kirby a Buy rating, adding to the positive analyst sentiment surrounding the stock. Kirby earns Buy rating from BTIG Research
Positive Sentiment: Kirby’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $1.67 versus the $1.63 consensus and revenue of $922.4 million versus $870.4 million expected. Revenue increased 7.8% year over year, supporting the company’s growth narrative. Kirby Q2 2026 earnings highlights
Positive Sentiment: Management indicated that full-year earnings growth could reach the upper end of its 5%–15% range, while the power-generation backlog rose to approximately $1 billion–$1.5 billion. Robust marine demand also remains a supportive factor. Kirby full-year outlook and power backlog
Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Kirby as a strong momentum stock, while its consensus price target suggests meaningful upside. However, Zacks cautioned that price targets alone have limited predictive value unless supported by improving earnings estimates. Why Kirby is a strong momentum stock
Negative Sentiment: A report specifically addressing why Kirby shares are sliding indicates that investors may be selling the stock despite the earnings beat and positive guidance, potentially reflecting valuation concerns or profit-taking. Why Kirby shares are sliding

Kirby Company Profile

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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.