A perfect four-quarter earnings beat streak and a maximum Piotroski financial health score of 9 out of 9 reflect a well-run business, but the stock is range-bound near its analyst price target with only 1.9% upside remaining and a risk/reward ratio of 0.41 that does not favor new entry at current levels.
Thesis pillars
- Perfect Earnings Beat Streak↓Deteriorating
- Near Target Thin Risk Reward↑Improving
- Maximum Financial Health Score↑Improving
- +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning
Pillars as of Jul 3, 2026, based on the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026· older than 90 days
Kirby Corporation (KEX) Stock Analysis
Industrials · Marine Shipping
Sell if holding. Momentum 3.2/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $128.12 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Negative momentum; Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7.
Kirby Corporation is the nation's largest domestic tank barge operator, transporting petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemicals via 1,105 inland tank barges and 28 coastal tank barges. KDS, its second segment, distributes and services... Read more
Sell if holding. Momentum 3.2/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $128.12 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Negative momentum; Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Score 6.1/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 7/8 gates (favorable risk/reward ratio, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, news events none recent, earnings proximity 83d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum. Suitability: moderate.
Recent developments
updated Oct 28, 2026Recent Developments — Kirby Corporation
Latest news
- NEWS Kirby (NYSE:KEX) Stock Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's Why - MarketBeat — MarketBeat Oct 28, 2026 positive
- NEWS Kirby (KEX) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release - Yahoo Finance — Yahoo Finance Oct 21, 2026 positive
- NEWS Kirby (KEX) Projected to Post Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday - MarketBeat — MarketBeat Oct 21, 2026 neutral
- NEWS Is Kirby Corp (KEX) Overvalued After Q2 Earnings Beat? EPS at $1 - GuruFocus — GuruFocus Jul 29, 2026 positive
- NEWS Why Kirby (KEX) Shares Are Sliding Today - StockStory — StockStory Jul 29, 2026 negative
Latest item Oct 28, 2026 · Generated 2026-11-05T11:39:30Z.
Upcoming dated catalysts
Thesis
Key Metrics
Quality Signals
Options Flow
Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)
- MEDIUMProductpetrochemical transportation48%10-K Item 1: 'The transportation of petrochemical products represented 48% of the segment's 2025 revenues.'
- MEDIUMProductblack oil transportation26%10-K Item 1: 'Black oil ... Such products represented 26% of the segment's 2025 revenues.'
- LOWProductrefined petroleum products transportation23%10-K Item 1: 'Refined petroleum products ... represented 23% of the segment's 2025 revenues.'
- LOWSupplierMTU, Allison, and Daimler12%10-K Item 1A: 'Sales and service of MTU, Allison, and Daimler products accounted for approximately 12% of the Company's revenues during 2025.'
Material Events(8-K, last 90d)
- 2026-04-30Item 2.02LOWKirby Corporation released Q1 2026 earnings results on April 30, 2026. Press release included EBITDA reconciliation and non-GAAP measures excluding one-time items.SEC filing →
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. How we score · Editorial policy
Show full disclosure ▾Hide full disclosure ▴
About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.
Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.
Conflicts and positions. People who build TrendMatrix, or entities they control, may hold positions, long or short, in securities it covers, and may trade them at any time. Positions are not disclosed individually. Verdicts are generated by an automated model applied by the same rules to every covered stock, and are not adjusted for any position held by the people who build TrendMatrix. We do not accept payment from issuers for coverage.
No paid promotion. TrendMatrix does not accept payment from any issuer, broker, or third party in exchange for coverage of any security.
No fiduciary duty. No fiduciary, advisory, or agency relationship is created between you and TrendMatrix by reading our content or subscribing to our service.
Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.
Rating Breakdown
1 floor-breaker
Price action weak — below key moving averages, no momentum carry. Needs a base before trend-continuation setups apply.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Sell if holding. Momentum 3.2/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $128.12 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Negative momentum; Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Prior stop was $120.77. Score 6.1/10, moderate confidence.
Analyst target: $152.00 (+18.6% upside). Prior stop was $120.77. Stop-loss: $120.77.
Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7; Negative momentum.
Kirby Corporation trades at a P/E of 18.4 (forward 15.0). TrendMatrix value score: 8.0/10. Verdict: Sell.
12 analysts rate KEX, with a consensus score of 4.5/5. 7 analysts publish price targets averaging $175.
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 via 1,105 inland tank barges and 28 coastal tank barges. KDS, its second segment, distributes and services engines, transmissions, and power generation equipment while manufacturing oilfield and electrical equipment for industrial customers.