Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Estimate for Kirby Earnings

Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) – Analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q2 2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of Kirby in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 4th. Zacks Research analyst S. Goswami now anticipates that the shipping company will post earnings of $1.59 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.56. The consensus estimate for Kirby’s current full-year earnings is $6.57 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Kirby’s Q3 2025 earnings at $1.85 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $6.39 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $1.52 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.89 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.88 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $7.12 EPS.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last issued 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 9.71% and a net margin of 8.78%.

KEX has been the subject of several other reports. StockNews.com cut Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $129.25.

Kirby Stock Performance

NYSE:KEX opened at $99.65 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $5.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.30, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $106.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $115.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Kirby has a 1-year low of $86.02 and a 1-year high of $132.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In other Kirby news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.61, for a total value of $133,866.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 5,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $596,697.45. The trade was a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kirby

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Kirby by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,762,651 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $186,488,000 after acquiring an additional 28,259 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake 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 valued at $204,154,000 after purchasing an additional 12,337 shares during the last quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 59.0% in the 4th quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 1,565,693 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $165,650,000 after purchasing an additional 581,215 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 961,303 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $117,724,000 after purchasing an additional 2,784 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Kirby by 69.7% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 876,292 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $92,712,000 after purchasing an additional 359,770 shares during the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.