Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Lifted to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kirby (NYSE:KEX) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday.

Separately, Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of Kirby in a research report on Monday, February 5th.

Kirby Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE:KEX opened at $95.03 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $5.56 billion, a PE ratio of 25.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $85.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $81.40. Kirby has a 12-month low of $66.42 and a 12-month high of $95.79.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The shipping company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.01. Kirby had a return on equity of 7.12% and a net margin of 7.21%. The business had revenue of $799.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $778.70 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.67 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Kirby will post 4.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Kirby

In related news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,828 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.60, for a total value of $145,508.80. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,600. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,828 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.60, for a total value of $145,508.80. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,600. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Christian G. O’neil sold 8,994 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.15, for a total value of $765,839.10. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 16,079 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,369,126.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 45,803 shares of company stock worth $3,921,057 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kirby

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KEX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Kirby by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 99,767 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $7,202,000 after buying an additional 1,756 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. purchased a new stake in Kirby in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new stake in Kirby in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $392,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Kirby by 33.4% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 38,864 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,806,000 after buying an additional 9,734 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in Kirby by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 164,306 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $11,861,000 after buying an additional 3,103 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Kirby Company Profile

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.