Stifel Nicolaus Has Lowered Expectations for Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Stock Price

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) had its price objective lowered by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $136.00 to $135.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the shipping company's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' target price would suggest a potential upside of 24.07% from the stock's current price.

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Kirby from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Kirby presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $124.40.

Kirby Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KEX traded down $3.31 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $108.81. 363,947 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 732,841. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.25 billion, a PE ratio of 20.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.21. Kirby has a one year low of $78.63 and a one year high of $132.21. The company's 50 day moving average is $112.70 and its 200 day moving average is $117.98.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.30 by ($0.01). Kirby had a return on equity of 9.43% and a net margin of 9.37%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Kirby will post 5.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 2,313 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.30, for a total value of $294,444.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 7,683 shares of the company's stock, valued at $978,045.90. The trade was a 23.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Christian G. O'neil sold 15,041 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $1,955,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 7,746 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,006,980. This represents a 66.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 25,354 shares of company stock valued at $3,275,455 in the last three months. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hourglass Capital LLC grew its holdings in Kirby by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Hourglass Capital LLC now owns 44,825 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $4,742,000 after buying an additional 3,890 shares in the last quarter. Empire Life Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter valued at $10,442,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kirby by 30.9% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 3,234 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $347,000 after purchasing an additional 764 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Kirby by 24.3% during the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 29,659 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $3,143,000 after acquiring an additional 5,804 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stanley Laman Group Ltd. increased its position in Kirby by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. now owns 38,803 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $4,105,000 after buying an additional 918 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.