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Kirby Corporation (KEX) Stock Analysis

HoldVALUE-TRAP 1/5Moderate Confidence

Industrials · Marine Shipping

Hold if already holding. Not a fresh buy at $152.60, but acceptable to hold if already in. Reasons: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (2.1% away).

Kirby Corporation is the nation's largest domestic tank barge operator, transporting petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemicals across the Mississippi River System, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and US coasts through its KMT segment, plus... Read more

$152.60+1.9% A.UpsideScore 5.8/10#6 of 13 Marine Shipping
Stop $144.08Target $154.54(resistance)A.R:R -0.9:1
Analyst target$154.00+0.9%6 analysts
$154.54our TP
$152.60price
$154.00mean
$138
$160

Hold if already holding. Not a fresh buy at $152.60, but acceptable to hold if already in. Reasons: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (2.1% away). Chart setup: No recognized chart pattern (not a breakout, bounce, continuation, recovery, falling knife, or range) — technicals mixed. Maintain position. Not compelling to add more. Score 5.8/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 5/6 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, earnings proximity no date, semi cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: moderate.

Thesis

Rewards
Strong earnings beat streak (3/4)
Strong growth profile
Risks
Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining
Near 52-week high (2.1% away)
Overbought (RSI 79)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)24.1
P/E (Fwd)18.8
Mkt Cap$8.2B
EV/EBITDA11.9
Profit Mgn10.5%
ROE10.6%
Rev Growth6.2%
Beta0.83
DividendNone
Rating analysts10

Quality Signals

Piotroski F9/9

Options Flow

P/C0.46bullish
IV42%normal

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • MEDIUMCommoditypetrochemicals48%
    10-K Item 1A: '48% of KMT's revenues were from the movement of petrochemicals'

Material Events(8-K, last 90d)

  • 2026-02-20Item 5.02LOW
    Tracy A. Embree elected to Kirby's Board of Directors on February 16, 2026 as an independent Class I director. She has 25+ years in power generation and manufacturing, most recently as President of Otis Americas. Not yet assigned to a board committee.
    SEC filing →

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

10 dimensions · all in-band

GatesA.R:R -0.9=NEGATIVEMomentum 6.6>=5.5Insider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsEARNINGS PROXIMITY NO DATESEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARSuitability: Moderate
RSI
79 · Overbought
20D MA 50D MA 200D MAGOLDEN CROSSSupport $131.80Resistance $157.69

Price Targets

$144
$155
A.Upside+1.3%
A.R:R-0.9:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Target reached (-11.7% upside)
! Negative risk/reward — downside exceeds upside

Earnings

B
B
B
M
3/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-04-30 (nulld)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is KEX stock a buy right now?

Hold if already holding. Not a fresh buy at $152.60, but acceptable to hold if already in. Reasons: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (2.1% away). Chart setup: No recognized chart pattern (not a breakout, bounce, continuation, recovery, falling knife, or range) — technicals mixed. Maintain position. Not compelling to add more. Target $154.54 (+1.3%), stop $144.08 (−5.9%), A.R:R -0.9:1. Score 5.8/10, moderate confidence.

What is the KEX stock price target?

Take-profit target: $154.54 (+1.9% upside). Target $154.54 (+1.3%), stop $144.08 (−5.9%), A.R:R -0.9:1. Stop-loss: $144.08.

What are the risks of investing in KEX?

Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (2.1% away); Overbought (RSI 79).

Is KEX overvalued or undervalued?

Kirby Corporation trades at a P/E of 24.1 (forward 18.8). TrendMatrix value score: 6.5/10. Verdict: Hold.

What do analysts say about KEX?

10 analysts cover KEX with a consensus score of 4.5/5. Average price target: $154.

What does Kirby Corporation do?Kirby Corporation is the nation's largest domestic tank barge operator, transporting petrochemicals, black oil, refined...

Kirby Corporation is the nation's largest domestic tank barge operator, transporting petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemicals across the Mississippi River System, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and US coasts through its KMT segment, plus distribution and services (KDS) for power generation and oilfield equipment. It operates 1,105 inland tank barges representing 28% of the US total fleet, with approximately 5,233 employees. Revenue comes from contract transportation services and equipment parts and services.

Related stocks: NMM (Navios Maritime Partners LP) · GSL (Global Ship Lease Inc New) · CMRE (Costamare Inc.) · ECO (Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp.) · DAC (Danaos Corporation)