2,500 Shares in Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) Acquired by Westwood Holdings Group Inc.

Westwood Holdings Group Inc. acquired a new position in Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 2,500 shares of the shipping company’s stock, valued at approximately $238,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Park West Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Kirby in the 4th quarter valued at about $61,824,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Kirby during the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,781,000. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby during the 1st quarter worth approximately $22,877,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 21.4% during the 1st quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 896,257 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $85,432,000 after acquiring an additional 157,880 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in shares of Kirby by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 955,587 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $91,086,000 after acquiring an additional 90,586 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Kirby Price Performance

Kirby stock traded down $3.72 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $109.98. 744,760 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 551,399. The company’s fifty day moving average is $120.33 and its 200-day moving average is $103.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.81. The firm has a market cap of $6.44 billion, a PE ratio of 26.00, a PEG ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.18. Kirby Co. has a 52 week low of $72.11 and a 52 week high of $130.90.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The shipping company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.11. Kirby had a net margin of 8.72% and a return on equity of 8.75%. The business had revenue of $824.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $821.65 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.95 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Kirby Co. will post 5.3 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kirby

In related news, VP Amy D. Husted sold 7,853 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.50, for a total transaction of $961,992.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,280 shares in the company, valued at $646,800. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CEO David W. Grzebinski sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.31, for a total transaction of $360,930.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 63,399 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,627,533.69. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Amy D. Husted sold 7,853 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.50, for a total transaction of $961,992.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,280 shares in the company, valued at approximately $646,800. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 28,893 shares of company stock valued at $3,412,856 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on KEX. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Kirby in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $126.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Kirby from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Kirby from $131.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 21st. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.80.

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.