Kirby Corporation (KEX) AI Stock Analysis

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Kirby Corporation operates in the domestic tank barge industry across the United States. Its Marine Transportation segment transports bulk liquid products, including petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemicals, utilizing tank barges and towing vessels along the Mississippi River System, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, all three U.S. coasts, Alaska, and Hawaii. Its Distribution and Services segment supplies genuine replacement parts for engines, transmissions, and electric motors across oilfield services, marine operations, and power generation, while also offering equipment rental services.

Kirby's annual revenue expanded from $2.25B in FY2021 to $3.36B in FY2025, representing a 5-year revenue CAGR of 9.2%. Operating margin improved significantly over this timeframe, shifting from -11.5% in FY2021 to 6.9% in FY2022, 10.8% in FY2023, 12.2% in FY2024, and 14.6% in FY2025. Over the same stretch, net income increased from -$247.0M in FY2021 to $354.6M in FY2025, with diluted EPS rising from $0.55 to $6.33. For the trailing twelve months ending June 30, 2026, revenue stood at $3.49B with an operating margin of 13.8% and EPS of $6.51. For the latest quarter ended June 30, 2026, quarterly revenue grew 7.8% year-over-year.

As of June 30, 2026, Kirby held $39.0M in cash and short-term investments against $1.23B in total debt, yielding net debt of $1.19B. Shareholders' equity was $3.44B, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 1.68. For FY2025, operating cash flow reached $670.2M and free cash flow was $405.7M. Capital allocation in FY2025 included $264.5M in capital expenditures and $354.2M spent on share buybacks, contributing to an 11.0% reduction in share count over 5 years.

Trading at $136.43 with a market capitalization of $7.20B, Kirby Corporation carries a trailing P/E of 21.0x and a forward P/E of 15.6x, compared to the median of its US-listed Industrials peers of 24.8x and 17.2x, respectively. Its EV to EBITDA ratio is 10.4x, below the peer median of 13.9x, while its price-to-sales ratio of 2.1x sits above the peer median of 1.5x. KEX shares gained 61.0% over the trailing 1-year period and 149.8% over 5 years, outperforming the S&P 500 returns of 16.8% and 83.0% over the same intervals.

Wall Street coverage consists of 6 Strong Buy ratings and 1 Buy rating, with no Hold, Sell, or Strong Sell recommendations. The consensus mean price target of $169.00 indicates a 23.9% premium over the last close of $136.43. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, consensus estimates project revenue of $3.64B and EPS of $7.09, reflecting 12.0% EPS growth. Kirby beat EPS expectations in 3 of the last 4 quarters, and its next earnings release is scheduled for October 28, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of Kirby Corporation (KEX). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

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