Zacks Research Downgrades Kirby (NYSE:KEX) to Strong Sell

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued to investors 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.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on KEX. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Kirby in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $136.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup upped their target price on Kirby from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. BTIG Research dropped their price target on shares of Kirby from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Evercore boosted their price target on shares of Kirby from $109.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $129.40.

Kirby Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KEX opened at $124.87 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.77 billion, a PE ratio of 19.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.70. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $118.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $104.03. Kirby has a 1 year low of $79.51 and a 1 year high of $132.18.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The shipping company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $857.82 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.29 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Kirby will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Kirby

In other news, VP William Matthew Woodruff sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $243,760.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 687 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $83,731.56. This trade represents a 74.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Scott P. Miller sold 3,960 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.68, for a total transaction of $477,892.80. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 3,565 shares in the company, valued at $430,224.20. The trade was a 52.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 63,898 shares of company stock worth $7,081,741 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KEX. Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. IFP Advisors Inc purchased a new position in Kirby during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in Kirby during the third quarter worth $30,000. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its stake in Kirby by 2,600.0% during the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc grew its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. 96.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Kirby News

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.