Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Stock Rated Overweight in New Coverage at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Kirby (NYSE:KEX) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage set an “overweight” rating and a $200.00 price target on the shipping company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target would suggest a potential upside of 46.09% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Kirby from $170.00 to $169.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America upped their price target on Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $169.17.

Kirby Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KEX opened at $136.91 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $136.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $139.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Kirby has a 52 week low of $80.10 and a 52 week high of $157.69.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $922.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $870.38 million. Kirby had a net margin of 10.18% and a return on equity of 10.44%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Kirby will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,917 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 2,811 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $374,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 18.2% in the 1st quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 520 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 18.4% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,079 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $119,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Kirby by 34.2% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 890 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $121,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

About Kirby

Kirby Corporation is a marine transportation and engine-services company headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1921, the company operates primarily in the United States and is one of the largest domestic operators of tank barges.

Through its marine transportation business, Kirby transports bulk liquid products on the nation’s inland waterway system and along the U.S. coast. Its cargoes include refined petroleum products, petrochemicals, black oil, agricultural chemicals and other specialty liquids.