Scott Miller Sells 3,960 Shares of Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Stock

Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) VP Scott Miller sold 3,960 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.68, for a total transaction of $477,892.80. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $430,224.20. The trade was a 52.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Kirby Stock Up 1.5%

KEX stock traded up $1.79 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $122.03. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 479,984 shares, compared to its average volume of 888,232. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $118.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $103.75. Kirby Corporation has a 12 month low of $79.51 and a 12 month high of $132.18. The company has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 19.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The shipping company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.62 by $0.06. Kirby had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 10.55%. The business had revenue of $851.78 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $857.82 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.29 EPS. Kirby’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Kirby Corporation will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. BTIG Research reduced their price target on Kirby from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore raised their price objective on Kirby from $109.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Kirby from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Kirby in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $129.40.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Maseco LLP bought a new position in Kirby in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. IFP Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of Kirby in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the third quarter worth $30,000. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its stake in shares of Kirby by 2,600.0% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its position in Kirby by 67.1% during the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 284 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

About Kirby

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.