Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) Stock Position Lifted by Axiom Investors LLC DE

Axiom Investors LLC DE increased its stake in Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) by 33.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 118,768 shares of the shipping company’s stock after purchasing an additional 29,736 shares during the quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE owned about 0.21% of Kirby worth $12,566,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of KEX. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Kirby by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,762,651 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $186,488,000 after acquiring an additional 28,259 shares during the period. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of Kirby by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 20,191 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $2,136,000 after buying an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter valued at $3,746,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Kirby during the fourth quarter valued at about $74,293,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Kirby by 13.5% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 161,495 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $17,086,000 after acquiring an additional 19,230 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Kirby Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KEX opened at $100.77 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $104.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.62. The company has a market cap of $5.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.18. Kirby Co. has a 12-month low of $93.63 and a 12-month high of $132.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 earnings per share (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%. Equities analysts expect that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Bank of America cut their target price on Kirby from $133.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $124.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.61, for a total transaction of $133,866.84. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,545 shares in the company, valued at $596,697.45. The trade was a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.90% 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.