Research Analysts Set Expectations for Kirby Q1 Earnings

Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) – Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of Kirby in a research report issued on Thursday, February 13th. Zacks Research analyst S. Goswami now forecasts that the shipping company will post earnings per share of $1.29 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $1.37. The consensus estimate for Kirby’s current full-year earnings is $6.54 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Kirby’s Q2 2025 earnings at $1.56 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $1.81 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $1.66 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $6.32 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $1.45 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.80 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.84 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.89 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $7.25 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com cut shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kirby presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.25.

Kirby Stock Performance

Shares of KEX stock opened at $108.47 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $108.48 and a 200-day moving average of $116.70. The company has a market cap of $6.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Kirby has a 52 week low of $84.56 and a 52 week high of $132.21.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.30 by ($0.01). Kirby had a return on equity of 9.78% and a net margin of 8.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In related news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.61, for a total transaction of $133,866.84. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $596,697.45. The trade was a 18.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Richard Ross Stewart sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.21, for a total value of $1,025,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 15,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,985,716.48. The trade was a 34.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kirby

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KEX. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Kirby by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,762,651 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $186,488,000 after purchasing an additional 28,259 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,667,520 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $204,154,000 after buying an additional 12,337 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Kirby by 0.3% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 961,303 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $117,724,000 after buying an additional 2,784 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Kirby by 69.7% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 876,292 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $92,712,000 after buying an additional 359,770 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Kirby in the fourth quarter worth about $74,293,000. 96.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Kirby

Kirby Corporation operates domestic tank barges in the United States. Its Marine Transportation segment provides marine transportation service and towing vessel transporting bulk liquid product, as well as operates tank barge throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, coastwise along three United States coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii.