Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) Shares Sold by Securian Asset Management Inc.

Securian Asset Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) by 3.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,339 shares of the shipping company’s stock after selling 163 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Kirby were worth $459,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Kirby during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Kirby in the fourth quarter worth approximately $76,000. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC grew its holdings in Kirby by 38.8% during the 3rd quarter. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC now owns 833 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $102,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hilltop Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kirby in the 3rd quarter valued at $202,000. 96.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com cut Kirby from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Kirby from $136.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $129.25.

Insider Transactions at Kirby

In other news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.61, for a total value of $133,866.84. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $596,697.45. This trade represents a 18.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Kirby Trading Up 1.2 %

KEX opened at $100.22 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Kirby Co. has a 52 week low of $88.34 and a 52 week high of $132.21. The business’s 50 day moving average is $105.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $114.53. The firm has a market cap of $5.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.18.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by ($0.01). Kirby had a net margin of 8.78% and a return on equity of 9.71%. On average, research analysts predict that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 EPS for the current year.

About Kirby

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.