Yahoo Finance report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Why KEX Stock dropped -2.29% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Kirby Corporation (KEX) earns a Roarable Rating of B (Buy) with 73/100 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.
🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief)
Is KEX stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
▼
As of 2026-11-03, Kirby Corporation (NYSE: KEX) is rated B (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 73/100 at a spot price of $140.64 (-2.29% 1D, market cap $7.60B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 11/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 15/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 16/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 15/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 16/20. Across 1009 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, KEX ranks #91 in composite RQD confidence.
🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief)
How does KEX compare to NCLH and MATX in the Consumer Discretionary sector?
▼
Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Marine Transportation), KEX carries a Roarable B (73/100 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 (38/100 RQD, P/E 19.8x, ROIC 11.7%, cap $8.07B) and MATX (Matson Inc.) posts a C+ grade (69/100 RQD, P/E 15.3x, ROIC 13.5%, cap $6.69B). Among the 5-stock peer group, MATX leads on earnings multiple (15.3x) while MATX leads on capital efficiency (13.5% ROIC).
🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief)
What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for KEX?
▼
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.
Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer
Altman Z-Score 3.29 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 8/9
SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 80% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-2.36% YoY Shares)
Capital intensity & 14.8% operating margin leave 9 pts on the table
⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the KEX Bull Thesis Could Fail
Even with a 73/100 (B) score, KEX faces multiple-compression risk if 21.7x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.
Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.
Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-2.36% YoY Shares) — any gross margin slip below 49.5% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.
Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($137.76) or 200D SMA ($137.09) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($150.13) toward Bear Floor ($115.32).
Why KEX Stock dropped -2.29% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Kirby Corporation (KEX) dropped -2.29% to $140.64, trading at 70% of its 52-week range ($101.65 – $157.69). High-quality cash engine (steady margins, 9% return on capital) with steady institutional support.
- ▸Technical Tape: Trading at 70% of its 52-week range ($101.65 – $157.69) with RSI-14 at 59.7 (BULLISH MOMENTUM).
- ▸Volatility Profile: Historical 20-day realized swing band of ±5.1% around $140.64 (no active unusual options sweep snapshot on file).
- ▸Fundamental Anchor: Roarable B (Buy) backed by 52% gross margin and $518.8M annual free cash flow.
TradingView report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Seeking Alpha report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Yahoo Finance report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
MarketBeat report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Stock Traders Daily report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
StocksToTrade report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Seeking Alpha report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
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.
Scheduled RQD Strong Buys & Whale Accumulation Briefing (KEX Tape Review)
- ✓Breakdown of the highest-scoring RQD Green-Light breakouts across our 5,200+ rated universe
- ✓Forensic Red-Light accounting & dilution traps to review on your watchlist
- ✓Includes downloadable .ics calendar invite & nightly RQD rating-change email alerts
KEX Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure
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.
📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (KEX)
1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (KEX vs. NCLH, MATX, INSW, CMBT)
Industry: Marine Transportation (67 Tracked Issuers)Across 1009 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Kirby Corporation (KEX) ranks #91 by composite RQD confidence (73/100, grade B) and #203 by equity capitalization ($7.60B). 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 73/100 (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 | 73/100 | 21.7x | — | 9.3% | -2.29% | $7.60B | Benchmark Subject |
| NCLH Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. | D- | 38/100 | 19.8x | — | 11.7% | +2.11% | $8.07B | /nclh-vs-kex → |
| MATX Matson Inc. | C+ | 69/100 | 15.3x | — | 13.5% | -1.25% | $6.69B | /matx-vs-kex → |
| INSW International Seaways Inc. | B+ | 79/100 | 18.8x | — | 11.2% | -5.60% | $5.73B | /insw-vs-kex → |
| CMBT CMB.TECH NV | D+ | 58/100 | — | — | — | -5.65% | $5.34B | /cmbt-vs-kex → |
2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)
SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0000056047 ↗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 |
3. KEX Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)
✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLEDIs KEX stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
As of 2026-11-03, Kirby Corporation (NYSE: KEX) is rated B (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 73/100 at a spot price of $140.64 (-2.29% 1D, market cap $7.60B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 11/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 15/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 16/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 15/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 16/20. Across 1009 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, KEX ranks #91 in composite RQD confidence.
How does KEX compare to NCLH and MATX in the Consumer Discretionary sector?
Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Marine Transportation), KEX carries a Roarable B (73/100 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 (38/100 RQD, P/E 19.8x, ROIC 11.7%, cap $8.07B) and MATX (Matson Inc.) posts a C+ grade (69/100 RQD, P/E 15.3x, ROIC 13.5%, cap $6.69B). Among the 5-stock peer group, MATX leads on earnings multiple (15.3x) while MATX leads on capital efficiency (13.5% ROIC).
What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for KEX?
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.
Where is KEX trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?
KEX last traded at $140.64 (-2.29% on volume of 708,162 shares), positioning the stock +2.09% above its 50-day simple moving average ($137.76) and +2.59% above its 200-day simple moving average ($137.09). Across its 52-week range of $101.65 to $157.69, KEX sits at the 69.6% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 59.7 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±5.1% ($133.47 to $147.81).
KEX — Kirby Corporation: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor
1. Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor
Kirby Corporation (KEX) earns a live Roarable RQD composite score of 73/100, corresponding to a B letter grade (Roarable Buy) at a spot price of $140.64 (-2.29% 1D, market capitalization $7.60B).
- Fundamental Cash Engine (11/20): Anchored by return on invested capital (ROIC) of 9.3%, gross margin of —, operating margin of 14.8%, and free cash flow yield of 6.73%.
- Whale 13F & Options Flow (15/20) + Insider Conviction (16/20): Tracks institutional 13F accumulation, CBOE options call/put positioning, and SEC Form 4 / Congressional PTR filings.
- Macro Regime Fit (15/20) + Forensic Balance Sheet (16/20): Incorporates a 1.08x equity beta, Altman Z-Score of 3.29, Piotroski F-Score of 8/9, and Debt/Equity of 0.27x.
2. Business Model, Unit Margins & SEC Financial Trajectory
Kirby Corporation is a NYSE-listed issuer classified under Consumer Discretionary, Marine Transportation,. Operating margin is 14.8% and net margin is 10.5%.
In its latest audited SEC EDGAR 10-K filing for FY2025 (filed 2025-12-31), Kirby Corporation (KEX) reported $3.36B in annual revenue (up from $3.27B in FY2024, +3.0% YoY) and $354.6M in GAAP net income. Over the multi-year SEC filing window from FY2023 ($3.09B revenue, $222.9M net income) through FY2025, KEX scaled operating cash flow to $670.2M and free cash flow to $518.8M, backed by $6.01B in total assets against $911.9M in total debt.
3. Institutional Bull vs. Bear Thesis & Valuation Tradeoff
- 🐂 Primary Bull Case (B • RQD 73/100): Big institutional funds and options desks are actively positioning on the bullish side. Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction. With Fundamental Cash Engine at 11/20 and Institutional Whale Flow at 15/20, sustained execution supports upside toward the upper end of the $101.65 – $157.69 52-week range.
- 🐻 Primary Bear Case & Valuation Risk: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run. Investors must weigh 21.7x trailing P/E and 13.7x EV/EBITDA against 14.8% operating margins and a 1.08x macro beta.
4. 2nd-Order Butterfly Ripples & Key Questions to Watch
The sector classification (Consumer Discretionary, Marine Transportation) is the only contextual data point; the beta of 1.08 per the market data is the only available indicator of co-movement with the broader market.
- Key Question #1: Can KEX sustain or expand its 14.8% operating margin and 9.3% ROIC against Marine Transportation peers over the next 4 quarters?
- Key Question #2: Following FY2025 revenue of $3.36B and free cash flow of $518.8M, how will capital allocation balance growth reinvestment against $911.9M in total debt?
- Key Question #3: How sensitive is KEX's 20.2x forward P/E multiple to Consumer Discretionary capital spending cycles and macro interest-rate shifts (Beta 1.08x)?
KEX Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire
Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Kirby Corporation (KEX) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below
Yahoo Finance report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingView report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Seeking Alpha report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Yahoo Finance report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
MarketBeat report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Stock Traders Daily report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
StocksToTrade report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Seeking Alpha report covering Kirby Corporation (KEX) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
KEX Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $140.64?
Per the RQD rating, KEX's forensic balance sheet scores 16/20 with an Altman Z-Score of 3.29, a Piotroski F-Score of 8/9, and Debt/Equi
Don't sleep on KEX's setup in Consumer Discretionary. Per the RQD rating, KEX's forensic balance sheet scores 16/20 with an Altman Z-Score of 3.29, a Piotroski F-Score of 8/9, and Debt/Equity of 0.27.. Beta of 1.08 means it moves fast when momentum turns, and the 5-pillar RQD gauge (73/100) backs up the fundamental quality.
@MacroHawk_NYC Agree on the RQD 73/100 quality, though with 1.08 beta I'm scaling in with half-size at $143.93 and keeping dry powder in case we test $133.85.
Per the RQD rating, the Fundamental Cash Engine pillar scores only 11/20, with ROIC of 9.3% and FCF yield of 6.73%, while FCF fell from
Here is the bear case nobody on the bull side wants to address on KEX: Per the RQD rating, the Fundamental Cash Engine pillar scores only 11/20, with ROIC of 9.3% and FCF yield of 6.73%, while FCF fell from $609.5M in FY 2024 to $518.8M in FY 2025.. At 21.7x trailing P/E, even a small guidance miss in Marine Transportation triggers a 12-15% air pocket.