Kirby (KEX) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $5.77B
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 1.05M
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 19.2
• Beta (1Y): 1.35
• Revenue Growth: 1.59%
• EPS Growth: 3.36%
• Country: US
• Employees: 5,414
• Sector: Industrials
• Sector Strength: 72
• Industry: Marine Shipping
• EPS (TTM): 1.65
• Shares Outstanding: 55,800,000
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 1,187,001
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 1,045,320
• 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: 0.98
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 1.71
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 6.62
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 8.16
• 1Y Price Target: $116.00
• Price Target Upside: 12.10% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Strong Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 4

• Rating: 74 Outperform
• Price Target: $113.00 ▲(9.20% Upside)

Kirby's strong financial performance and positive earnings call outlook are significant strengths, supported by robust revenue growth and profitability. However, technical indicators suggest the stock may be overbought, and valuation metrics indicate it is fairly valued. The absence of a dividend yield and challenges in certain segments temper the overall score.

Positive Factors

Revenue Growth

Kirby's strong revenue growth indicates robust market demand and effective business strategies, supporting long-term financial health.

Coastal Marine Operations

High utilization rates in coastal marine operations reflect strong demand and efficient asset use, contributing to sustained profitability.

Power Generation Growth

Significant growth in power generation revenues suggests expanding market opportunities and diversification beyond traditional marine services.

Negative Factors

Inland Marine Challenges

Challenges in inland marine transportation could limit revenue growth and operational efficiency in this segment, affecting overall performance.

Spot Market Pricing Weakness

Weakness in spot market pricing may pressure margins and reduce profitability in short-term contracts, impacting financial stability.

Decline in Oil and Gas Revenue

A significant decline in oil and gas revenues reflects sector-specific challenges, potentially affecting Kirby's diversification efforts.

Kirby Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Kirby Corporation (KEX) is a leading provider of marine transportation and industrial services, primarily operating in the inland and offshore markets. The company specializes in the transportation of bulk liquids, including petrochemicals, refined products, and other industrial liquids, through its extensive fleet of barges and towboats. Additionally, Kirby offers a range of services related to the repair and maintenance of marine equipment, and it has a growing presence in the diesel engine and power generation sectors, providing products and services to various industries.

How the Company Makes Money

Kirby generates revenue through several key streams. The primary source of income comes from its marine transportation segment, which involves the chartering of its fleet for the movement of bulk liquids. This segment benefits from long-term contracts with major companies in the petrochemical and refining industries, providing a stable revenue base. Additionally, Kirby's industrial equipment segment contributes to its earnings by selling, leasing, and servicing diesel engines and related equipment, catering to various sectors including oil and gas, marine, and power generation. The company also engages in maintenance and repair services for marine vessels, which further enhances its revenue. Strategic partnerships with major industry players and ongoing investments in fleet expansion and modernization are significant factors that support Kirby's financial performance.

Kirby Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Kirby exhibits strong financial health with impressive revenue growth and profitability metrics. The balance sheet is solid with manageable leverage and good equity returns. While cash flow generation is generally healthy, the decline in free cash flow growth is a potential area of concern.

Income Statement

Kirby has demonstrated strong revenue growth with a TTM revenue growth rate of 95.8%, indicating a robust recovery and expansion. The company maintains healthy profitability margins, with a gross profit margin of 25.99% and a net profit margin of 9.25% in the TTM. EBIT and EBITDA margins are also solid at 13.16% and 20.88%, respectively, reflecting efficient operations. The consistent improvement in margins over the years highlights effective cost management and operational efficiency.

Balance Sheet

Kirby's balance sheet is stable with a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, indicating prudent leverage. The return on equity (ROE) is 9.07%, showing decent profitability relative to shareholder equity. The equity ratio stands at 55.72%, suggesting a strong equity base relative to total assets. The company has improved its financial position over the years, reducing leverage and enhancing equity returns.

Cash Flow

The cash flow statement shows a decline in free cash flow growth by 20.73% in the TTM, which could be a concern. However, the operating cash flow to net income ratio is 0.86, indicating that operating cash flows are sufficient to cover net income. The free cash flow to net income ratio is 0.45, suggesting that a significant portion of earnings is converted into free cash flow. While cash flow generation is adequate, the recent decline in free cash flow growth warrants attention.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	3.31B	3.27B	3.09B	2.78B	2.25B	2.17B
Gross Profit	856.36M	825.20M	700.06M	522.37M	379.98M	440.67M
EBITDA	694.77M	652.21M	557.29M	411.01M	-34.41M	-192.69M
Net Income	305.58M	286.71M	222.94M	122.29M	-246.95M	-272.55M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	0.00	5.85B	5.72B	5.55B	5.40B	5.92B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	47.02M	74.44M	32.58M	80.58M	34.81M	80.34M
Total Debt	1.05B	1.06B	1.19B	1.26B	1.36B	1.66B
Total Liabilities	0.00	2.50B	2.54B	2.51B	2.51B	2.84B
Stockholders Equity	3.36B	3.35B	3.19B	3.04B	2.89B	3.08B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	131.02M	413.83M	138.50M	121.52M	223.56M	296.75M
Operating Cash Flow	377.85M	756.49M	540.23M	294.13M	321.58M	444.94M
Investing Cash Flow	-580.40M	-400.13M	-413.15M	-139.60M	-55.79M	-485.85M
Financing Cash Flow	67.34M	-314.50M	-175.08M	-108.76M	-311.31M	96.51M

Kirby Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 103.48
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Negative
• STOCH: Negative

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For KEX, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 103.48 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 87.24, above the 50-day MA of 87.97, and above the 200-day MA of 101.21, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 3.34 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 79.50 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 84.40 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for KEX.

Kirby Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
KEX	―	$5.77B	19.21	9.17%	―	1.59%	3.36%
DAC	―	$1.67B	3.75	13.38%	3.74%	5.63%	-17.54%
MATX	―	$3.21B	6.83	19.70%	1.48%	8.75%	56.21%
CMRE	―	$1.45B	5.10	14.61%	3.76%	-7.24%	-16.39%
SBLK	―	$2.16B	17.80	5.11%	4.20%	2.95%	-61.74%
Sector *	―	$10.79B	15.43	7.44%	2.01%	2.89%	-14.66%
ZIM	―	$1.85B	0.92	59.06%	49.54%	43.57%	―

Kirby Corporate Events

Kirby Corporation Reports Strong Q3 2025 Earnings

Kirby Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is the largest domestic tank barge operator in the United States, specializing in the transportation of bulk liquid products and providing aftermarket services and equipment for various industrial applications.

Kirby Corp. Earnings Call: Mixed Results with Growth Potential

Kirby Corp.’s recent earnings call painted a mixed picture, reflecting both strong performance and some challenges across its business segments. The company demonstrated resilience and adaptability, particularly in coastal marine transportation and power generation, which are driving growth. However, inland marine transportation and the oil and gas sector faced some headwinds. Despite these challenges, Kirby Corp. remains optimistic about ongoing positive trends in certain areas.

Kirby Authorizes Additional Share Repurchase Program

On September 8, 2025, Kirby Corporation’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional eight million shares of its common stock, reflecting confidence in the company’s earnings potential and commitment to its capital allocation strategy. This move, which adds to a previous authorization, allows Kirby to repurchase approximately 8.8 million shares in total, demonstrating its focus on generating strong free cash flow and returning capital to shareholders.

The most recent analyst rating on (KEX) stock is a Buy with a $107.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Kirby stock, see the KEX Stock Forecast page.

Kirby Corporation Reports Strong Q2 2025 Earnings

Kirby Corporation, based in Houston, Texas, is the largest domestic tank barge operator in the United States, specializing in the transportation of bulk liquid products and providing after-market services for various industrial applications.

Kirby Corp. Reports Strong Earnings Amid Challenges

Kirby Corp. recently held its earnings call, revealing a strong financial performance with notable growth in earnings per share and robust results in coastal marine transportation and power generation. Despite some challenges in inland marine transportation and a decline in oil and gas revenue, the company expressed confidence in its ability to adapt to market dynamics, maintain strong cash flow, and uphold its financial health.