Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) Shares Bought by First Trust Advisors LP

First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 69.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 876,292 shares of the shipping company's stock after purchasing an additional 359,770 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 1.53% of Kirby worth $92,712,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its position in shares of Kirby by 112.4% in the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 5,208 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $638,000 after buying an additional 2,756 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in Kirby in the 3rd quarter valued at $5,136,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Kirby by 27.5% during the 3rd 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 period. First Hawaiian Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 17.2% during the fourth quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 23,524 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $2,489,000 after purchasing an additional 3,459 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter valued at $614,000. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kirby Trading Down 1.6 %

KEX traded down $1.53 on Friday, reaching $96.67. 284,363 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 539,538. The company has a market cap of $5.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.69, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.45. Kirby Co. has a twelve month low of $83.94 and a twelve month high of $132.21. The company's 50 day moving average is $98.47 and its 200-day moving average is $109.77.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 8.78% and a return on equity of 9.71%. Equities analysts predict that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KEX has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America reduced 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, March 28th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Kirby from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $596,697.45. This trade represents a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Kirby

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.