Kirby Corporation (KEX) earns a Roarable Rating of B (Buy) with 75/100 RQD Confidence. High-quality cash engine (steady margins, 9% return on capital) with steady institutional support. The company’s underlying cash engine and institutional positioning keep the composite score in the Green Buy zone.
Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer
Kirby Corporation (KEX) slipped -0.05% to $146.00, trading at 79% of its 52-week range ($101.65 – $157.69). High-quality cash engine (steady margins, 9% return on capital) with steady institutional support.
Kirby’s third quarter results were well received by investors, reflecting outperformance across both its marine transportation and distribution and services segments. Management pointed to strong barge utilization, incre
JP Morgan analyst Tomohiko Sano maintains Kirby (NYSE:KEX) with a Overweight and raises the price target from $200 to $210.
Kirby has delivered a powerful share price run in recent years, which puts a spotlight on whether the current US$146.07 level is still grounded in the cash flows the business can generate. With so much of that story now
Stephens & Co. analyst Bascome Majors maintains Kirby (NYSE:KEX) with a Overweight and raises the price target from $170 to $175.
Why Kirby stock is in focus after Q3 Kirby (KEX) moved into the spotlight after reporting record third quarter earnings per share of US$2.09, raising full year earnings growth guidance to a range of 10% to 15%, and annou
Tight barge supply and booming data center demand are creating two distinct profit engines for years to come.
HOUSTON (AP) — HOUSTON (AP) — Kirby Corp. (KEX) on Wednesday reported third-quarter earnings of $110.
Record $2.09 EPS fueled by inland marine pricing and power generation demand surge.
Moby summary of Kirby Corporation's Q3 2026 earnings call
Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).
vs. +3.0% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).
No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on KEX today. View full Setup Ledger →
No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for KEX. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.
Across 304 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Kirby Corporation (KEX) ranks #51 by composite RQD confidence (75/100, grade B) and #200 by equity capitalization ($7.71B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, MATX leads on earnings valuation at 15.3x trailing P/E, while MATX leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 13.5% ROIC and — gross margin. INSW currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 79/100 (B+) compared with KEX at 75/100 (B).
| Ticker / Company | Roarable Grade | RQD Score | Trailing P/E | Gross Margin | ROIC | 1D Change | Market Cap | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEX
ACTIVE
Kirby Corporation | B | 75/100 | 21.7x | — | 9.3% | -0.05% | $7.71B | Benchmark Subject |
| NCLH Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. | D- | 39/100 | 19.8x | — | 11.7% | +13.45% | $8.37B | /nclh-vs-kex → |
| MATX Matson Inc. | B- | 71/100 | 15.3x | — | 13.5% | -0.83% | $6.79B | /matx-vs-kex → |
| INSW International Seaways Inc. | B+ | 79/100 | 18.8x | — | 11.2% | +1.67% | $5.81B | /insw-vs-kex → |
| STNG Scorpio Tankers Inc. | B | 72/100 | 32.8x | — | 9.9% | +7.16% | $4.92B | /stng-vs-kex → |
In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Kirby Corporation (KEX) reported GAAP revenue of $3.36B (+3.0% vs. FY2024 revenue of $3.27B , and +8.8% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $354.6M, operating cash flow of $670.2M, and free cash flow of $518.8M (-14.9% YoY). On the balance sheet, KEX closed FY2025 with $6.01B in total assets against $911.9M in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 3.29, Piotroski F-Score: 8/9).
| Fiscal Period | Filing Date | Revenue | Net Income | Operating Cash Flow | Free Cash Flow | Total Assets | Total Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 (FY) | 2025-12-31 | $3.36B | $354.6M | $670.2M | $518.8M | $6.01B | $911.9M |
| FY2024 (FY) | 2024-12-31 | $3.27B | $286.7M | $756.5M | $609.5M | $5.85B | $866.7M |
| FY2023 (FY) | 2023-12-31 | $3.09B | $222.9M | $540.2M | $401.1M | $4.24B | $992.1M |
As of 2026-11-01, Kirby Corporation (NYSE: KEX) is rated B (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 75/100 at a spot price of $146.00 (-0.05% 1D, market cap $7.71B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 11/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 16/20, Executive Insider Alignment 16/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 16/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 16/20. Across 304 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, KEX ranks #51 in composite RQD confidence.
Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Marine Transportation), KEX carries a Roarable B (75/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 21.7x, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 9.3%. By comparison, NCLH (Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.) holds a D- grade (39/100 RQD, P/E 19.8x, ROIC 11.7%, cap $8.37B) and MATX (Matson Inc.) posts a B- grade (71/100 RQD, P/E 15.3x, ROIC 13.5%, cap $6.79B). Among the 5-stock peer group, MATX leads on earnings multiple (15.3x) while MATX leads on capital efficiency (13.5% ROIC).
Per KEX's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0000056047), Kirby Corporation generated $3.36B in revenue (+3.0% YoY), $354.6M in net income, and $518.8M in free cash flow against $6.01B in total assets and $911.9M in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Big institutional funds and options desks are actively positioning on the bullish side.. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
KEX last traded at $146.00 (-0.05% on volume of 1,087,503 shares), positioning the stock +6.20% above its 50-day simple moving average ($137.48) and +6.64% above its 200-day simple moving average ($136.91). Across its 52-week range of $101.65 to $157.69, KEX sits at the 79.1% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 64.9 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±5.5% ($137.97 to $154.03).
Why KEX Stock slipped -0.05% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash. High-quality cash engine (steady margins, 9% return on capital) with steady institutional support.