AMG National Trust Bank Cuts Holdings in Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX)

AMG National Trust Bank decreased its position in shares of Kirby Co. (NYSE:KEX) by 27.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,153 shares of the shipping company’s stock after selling 2,275 shares during the period. AMG National Trust Bank’s holdings in Kirby were worth $651,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quest Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Kirby by 0.7% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 12,462 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,526,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in shares of Kirby by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 8,459 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $895,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank grew its position in shares of Kirby by 8.5% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,668 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Kirby by 420.0% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 208 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Virtus Fund Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Kirby by 38.8% during the third quarter. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC now owns 833 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $102,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.15% of the company’s stock.

Kirby Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:KEX opened at $97.03 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Kirby Co. has a 12 month low of $86.02 and a 12 month high of $132.21. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $106.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $115.40. The company has a market cap of $5.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.76, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.18.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The shipping company reported $1.29 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%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Kirby Co. will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kirby news, VP Scott P. Miller sold 1,244 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were 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 owns 5,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $596,697.45. This trade represents a 18.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.