Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Should You Sell?

Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $93.31 and last traded at $93.75, with a volume of 265307 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $103.15.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on Kirby from $133.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 28th.

Kirby Trading Down 4.0 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $102.83 and its 200-day moving average is $112.96. The firm has a market cap of $5.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.18.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by ($0.01). Kirby had a net margin of 8.78% and a return on equity of 9.71%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.61, for a total value of $133,866.84. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $596,697.45. This represents a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Kirby by 27.5% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 142,265 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $17,418,000 after purchasing an additional 30,713 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Kirby by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 415,042 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $43,911,000 after buying an additional 10,486 shares in the last quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP boosted its stake in shares of Kirby by 112.0% in the 4th quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 382,835 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $40,504,000 after buying an additional 202,272 shares during the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Kirby by 24.3% in the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 29,659 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,143,000 after acquiring an additional 5,804 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $18,749,000. 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.