Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) Shares Sold by Vanguard Group Inc.

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its position in Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) by 0.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,066,529 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 3,826 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 10.57% of Kirby worth $641,839,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Kirby in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of Kirby by 38.8% in the third quarter. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC now owns 833 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $102,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of Kirby by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,746 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $185,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hilltop Holdings Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby during the third quarter worth $202,000. 96.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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Insider Transactions at Kirby

In related news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.61, for a total transaction of $133,866.84. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,545 shares in the company, valued at $596,697.45. This trade represents a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

Kirby Stock Down 4.0 %

NYSE:KEX traded down $3.70 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $89.20. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,175,353 shares, compared to its average volume of 535,957. Kirby Co. has a 52-week low of $85.33 and a 52-week high of $132.21. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $5.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $102.83 and a 200-day moving average of $112.96.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 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%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current year.

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.