Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Lowered to Strong Sell Rating by Zacks Research

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Kirby’s Q2 2026 earnings at $1.71 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.74 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.87 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.75 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.84 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.14 EPS.

Several other research firms have also commented on KEX. Evercore lifted their price target on shares of Kirby from $109.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Kirby from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen raised Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $136.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Kirby in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kirby has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $129.40.

Kirby Stock Up 2.9%

NYSE KEX opened at $124.87 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $118.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $104.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a PE ratio of 19.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.88. Kirby has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $132.18.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The shipping company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.06. Kirby had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 10.55%. The firm had revenue of $851.78 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $857.82 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.29 earnings per share. Kirby’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Kirby will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kirby news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.68, for a total transaction of $477,892.80. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,565 shares in the company, valued at $430,224.20. This represents a 52.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.68, for a total transaction of $1,244,673.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 14,835 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,656,772.80. The trade was a 42.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 63,898 shares of company stock worth $7,081,741 over the last 90 days. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kirby

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KEX. Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. IFP Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in Kirby during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kirby by 2,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the period. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Kirby by 67.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 284 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Kirby

Here are the key news stories impacting Kirby this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 EPS estimate for Kirby sharply (from $1.60 to $1.84) and projects stronger long‑run earnings (FY2028 EPS forecast of $9.14), which supports a higher near‑term valuation and helped push the stock up.
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlights improving shareholder returns and favorable fundamentals following Kirby’s January quarter that beat EPS expectations — a boost for investor confidence. Returns At Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Are On The Way Up
• Neutral Sentiment: Background: Kirby reported a January quarter EPS beat and revenue growth; consensus and longer‑term analyst coverage remain mostly constructive (consensus FY2026 ~6.57 EPS, MarketBeat consensus “Moderate Buy”), which provides underlying support to the share price.
• Negative Sentiment: In the same Zacks note, analysts trimmed several 2026 quarterly EPS estimates and reduced FY2026 from $6.97 to $6.75 — these downward revisions introduce some short‑term uncertainty around near‑term earnings momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks added KEX to its Rank #5 (Strong Sell) list on Feb 13, which can trigger short‑term selling pressure from momentum or model‑driven funds. New Strong Sell Stocks for February 13th
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Two Kirby VPs disclosed sizable sales (William Woodruff sold 2,000 shares; Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares). Large insider sells can be interpreted negatively by the market even if they’re routine. Insider Sales Filing

Kirby Company Profile

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.