Quantbot Technologies LP Purchases New Position in Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX)

Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 16,554 shares of the shipping company's stock, valued at approximately $1,751,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of KEX. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Kirby during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in Kirby in the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Kirby during the fourth quarter worth approximately $76,000. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC increased its holdings in Kirby by 38.8% during the 3rd quarter. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC now owns 833 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the period. Finally, Hilltop Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kirby in the third quarter valued at about $202,000. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on KEX shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Kirby from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on Kirby from $133.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $124.75.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In other Kirby news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 5,545 shares in the company, valued at $596,697.45. The trade was a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Kirby Trading Down 2.1 %

KEX traded down $2.12 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $100.77. The company's stock had a trading volume of 481,984 shares, compared to its average volume of 530,639. The business's 50-day moving average is $104.37 and its 200-day moving average is $113.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market cap of $5.73 billion, a PE ratio of 20.52, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.18. Kirby Co. has a fifty-two week low of $93.63 and a fifty-two week high of $132.21.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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, equities research analysts predict that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.