Jupiter Topco LLC Acquires New Stake in Kirby Corporation $KEX

Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 394,968 shares of the shipping company’s stock, valued at approximately $53,703,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 2,600.0% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Kirby by 537.5% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Kirby by 50.0% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 402 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in Kirby by 182.9% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 430 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kirby Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE KEX opened at $139.96 on Friday. Kirby Corporation has a 52 week low of $79.51 and a 52 week high of $157.69. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $138.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $137.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $7.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.84.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The shipping company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.04. Kirby had a return on equity of 10.44% and a net margin of 10.18%.The firm had revenue of $922.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $870.38 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.67 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.280-7.280 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Kirby Corporation will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on KEX. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price target on shares of Kirby in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Kirby from $169.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $158.00 price objective on shares of Kirby in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Kirby from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.20.

About Kirby

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.