Kirby Corporation $KEX Shares Sold by VELA Investment Management LLC

Posted by on Sep 7th, 2026

VELA Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX – Free Report) by 6.7% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 130,543 shares of the shipping company’s stock after selling 9,355 shares during the quarter. Kirby comprises approximately 3.8% of VELA Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. VELA Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Kirby were worth $17,750,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in KEX. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Kirby by 30.4% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 491,355 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $49,632,000 after acquiring an additional 114,618 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kirby by 152.7% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 182,565 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $18,441,000 after acquiring an additional 110,320 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kirby by 68.6% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 20,096 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,279,000 after acquiring an additional 8,174 shares in the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System raised its position in shares of Kirby by 3.5% during the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 96,565 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $10,951,000 after purchasing an additional 3,292 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Kirby by 52,000.0% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,084 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 2,080 shares during the period. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kirby Stock Performance

KEX stock opened at $140.51 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a PE ratio of 21.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a 50 day moving average of $138.73 and a 200-day moving average of $138.66. Kirby Corporation has a 12-month low of $79.51 and a 12-month high of $157.69.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $922.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $870.38 million. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.44% and a net margin of 10.18%.Kirby’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.67 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Kirby Corporation will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on KEX. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Kirby from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kirby from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $163.20.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on KEX

Kirby Profile

(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.

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Kirby (NYSE:KEX)

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