Kirby (KEX) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $5.73B
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 696.14K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 19.1
• Beta (1Y): 1.31
• Revenue Growth: 2.45%
• EPS Growth: 11.98%
• Country: US
• Employees: 5,414
• Sector: Industrials
• Sector Strength: 84
• Industry: Marine Shipping
• EPS (TTM): 1.67
• Shares Outstanding: 56,100,000
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 1,081,171
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 696,140
• PEG Ratio: 0.66
• Price to Book (P/B): 1.83
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.88
• P/FCF Ratio: 14.81
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.30
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 2.30
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 8.92
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 11.23
• 1Y Price Target: $124.00
• Price Target Upside: 23.64% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Strong Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 3

• Rating: 65 Neutral
• Price Target: $103.00 ▲(2.70% Upside)

Kirby's overall stock score is driven by strong earnings growth and stable financials. However, technical indicators suggest bearish momentum, and cash flow challenges persist. The company's strategic focus on growth and capital allocation provides confidence, but market conditions and sector-specific challenges need careful monitoring.

Positive Factors

Earnings

Analyst's price target has been increased to $125, indicating confidence in continued performance and valuation growth.

Pricing

Supply demand remains firm, helping term-contract pricing to continue repricing in the 10%+ range year-over-year.

Volume Activity

Upper river barge volumes are tracking up ~25% year-over-year and up ~35% quarter-over-quarter, driven by growth in refined products, petchems, and crude volume activity.

Negative Factors

Chemical Market

Modest pressure in chemicals is tied to European market dynamics.

Operational Challenges

Coastal Marine faces significant headwinds in the first quarter due to additional shipyard dockings.

Kirby Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

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. It also transport petrochemical, black oil, refined petroleum product, and agricultural chemicals by tank barge; and operates offshore dry-bulk barge and tugboat unit that are engaged in the offshore transportation of dry-bulk cargo in the United States coastal trade. As of December 31, 2021, it owned and operated 1,025 inland tank barge, approximately 255 inland towboat, 31 coastal tank barge, 29 coastal tugboat, 4 offshore dry-bulk cargo barge, 4 offshore tugboat, and 1 docking tugboat. Its Distribution and Services segment sells after-market service and genuine replacement part for engine, transmission, reduction gear, electric motor, drive, and control, electrical distribution and control system, energy storage battery system, and related oilfield service equipment; rebuild component parts or diesel engine, transmission and reduction gear, and related equipment used in oilfield service, marine, power generation, on-highway, and other industrial applications; rents generator, industrial compressor, high capacity lift truck, and refrigeration trailer; and manufactures and remanufactures oilfield service equipment, including pressure pumping unit, as well as manufacturers electric power generation equipment, specialized electrical distribution and control equipment, and high capacity energy storage/battery systems for oilfield customer. It serves to various companies and the United States government. The company was formerly known as Kirby Exploration Company, Inc. and changed its name to Kirby Corporation in 1990. Kirby Corporation was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

How the Company Makes Money

Kirby Corporation generates revenue primarily through its marine transportation segment, which involves transporting bulk liquid products across the United States using its fleet of barges and towing vessels. This segment charges customers based on the volume and distance of transported cargo, often entering into long-term contracts to ensure steady income. Another significant revenue stream comes from the distribution and services segment, where Kirby offers engine services, parts, and related support primarily for the marine and oilfield sectors. The company benefits from strategic partnerships and long-standing customer relationships, which contribute to its stable revenue base.

Kirby Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Kirby's financial performance is solid with strong profitability and operational efficiency. The income statement highlights healthy margins, although revenue growth is slightly negative. The balance sheet is stable with a manageable Debt-to-Equity Ratio, but cash flow challenges remain due to negative free cash flow growth.

Income Statement

Kirby's income statement shows a strong improvement trajectory. The Gross Profit Margin stands at 25.75% for TTM, indicating efficient cost management. While the Net Profit Margin for TTM is 9.02%, showing profitability, the Revenue Growth Rate is slightly negative at -0.68%, suggesting a need for revenue growth strategies. The EBIT and EBITDA margins are healthy at 12.43% and 20.45% respectively, reflecting strong operational performance.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet reflects a stable financial position with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.38 for TTM, suggesting manageable leverage. ROE is moderate at 8.79%, indicating decent returns for equity holders. The Equity Ratio of 55.31% points to a strong equity base, providing financial stability. However, the company should monitor its debt levels for future growth opportunities.

Cash Flow

Cash flow analysis reveals challenges, with a negative Free Cash Flow Growth Rate of -179.15% for TTM. The Operating Cash Flow to Net Income Ratio of 1.75 indicates strong cash generation from operations. However, the Free Cash Flow to Net Income Ratio is negative, highlighting potential issues in capital expenditure management.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	3.24B	3.27B	3.09B	2.78B	2.25B	2.17B
Gross Profit	835.09M	825.20M	700.06M	522.37M	379.98M	440.67M
EBITDA	663.49M	652.21M	546.04M	399.95M	-31.88M	-162.48M
Net Income	292.63M	286.71M	222.94M	122.29M	-246.95M	-272.55M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	6.01B	5.85B	5.72B	5.55B	5.40B	5.92B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	51.08M	74.44M	32.58M	80.58M	34.81M	80.34M
Total Debt	1.28B	1.06B	1.19B	1.26B	1.36B	1.66B
Total Liabilities	2.69B	2.50B	2.54B	2.51B	2.51B	2.84B
Stockholders Equity	3.33B	3.35B	3.19B	3.04B	2.89B	3.08B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	170.60M	413.83M	138.50M	121.52M	223.56M	296.75M
Operating Cash Flow	669.75M	756.49M	540.23M	294.13M	321.58M	444.94M
Investing Cash Flow	-497.35M	-400.13M	-413.15M	-139.60M	-55.79M	-485.85M
Financing Cash Flow	-196.54M	-314.50M	-175.08M	-108.76M	-311.31M	96.51M

Kirby Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 100.29
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For KEX, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 100.29 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 111.52, below the 50-day MA of 112.69, and below the 200-day MA of 109.66, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -3.70 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 35.04 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 28.54 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for KEX.

Kirby Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
SBLK	74 Outperform	$2.26B	9.77	5.11%	7.59%	25.60%	-9.32%
ZIM	74 Outperform	$1.92B	0.81	72.40%	53.30%	65.83%	―
MATX	73 Outperform	$3.62B	7.70	19.70%	1.26%	8.75%	56.21%
Sector *	71 Outperform	¥258.28B	14.57	8.48%	2.82%	6.30%	11.95%
DAC	71 Outperform	$1.70B	3.83	13.38%	3.55%	4.93%	-17.08%
GOGL	71 Outperform	$1.77B	15.66	6.06%	9.07%	-7.73%	-39.13%
KEX	65 Neutral	$5.73B	19.09	9.11%	―	2.45%	11.98%