Kirby Corporation $KEX Stock Position Lowered by Encompass Capital Advisors LLC

Encompass Capital Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) by 53.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 649,758 shares of the shipping company’s stock after selling 736,566 shares during the quarter. Kirby comprises 2.9% of Encompass Capital Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC owned about 1.20% of Kirby worth $71,590,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Kirby by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,667,853 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $472,982,000 after purchasing an additional 134,261 shares during the period. 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 valued at $287,803,000 after purchasing an additional 1,251,700 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Kirby by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,484,508 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $273,745,000 after purchasing an additional 93,676 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in Kirby by 72.5% in the 2nd 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 during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,178,963 shares during the period. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on KEX shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 13th. BTIG Research raised their price objective on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $146.20.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In related news, COO Christian G. O’neil sold 11,287 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.93, for a total value of $1,647,111.91. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total transaction of $250,287.26. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 8,673 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,257,671.73. This trade represents a 16.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 17,691 shares of company stock worth $2,579,036 in the last 90 days. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Kirby Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KEX opened at $140.43 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $7.51 billion, a PE ratio of 21.60, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s fifty day moving average is $144.16 and its 200 day moving average is $130.44. Kirby Corporation has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $157.69. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $844.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $832.57 million. Kirby had a net margin of 10.51% and a return on equity of 10.62%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.33 EPS. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Kirby Corporation will post 6.99 earnings per share for the current year.

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.