Fact based stock research
Kirby (NYSE:KEX)

US4972661064

How to read the free ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Kirby stock research in summary

kirbycorp.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 92 (better than 92% compared with investment alternatives), Kirby (Marine, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Kirby are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 18 (worse than 82% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 83) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 98, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 92, is a strong buy recommendation based on Kirby's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company Kirby exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 18), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 83). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 98) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	18
Growth Rank	83
Safety Rank	98
Combined Rank	92

Country	USA
Industry	Marine
Index	SDG 11, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 8, S&P MIDCAP
Size class	Medium

This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.

31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.

Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Kirby

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	23	24	23	18
GROWTH
GROWTH	18	69	81	83
SAFETY
SAFETY	80	82	94	98
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	39	98	64	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	32	96	89	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 31-Jul-2025. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 31-Mar-2025. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Kirby is in the corresponding investment strategy.
Upgrade to a Premium Account to access the latest ranks.

Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	23	24	23	18
GROWTH
GROWTH	18	69	81	83
SAFETY
SAFETY	80	82	94	98
COMBINED
COMBINED	31	65	83	92

Last update of combined financial performance: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Kirby the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 18 (worse than 82% compared with alternatives), Kirby shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators where three out of four are below average for Kirby. Only the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) indicates good stock value with a Price-to-Book Rank of 52, which means that the stock price is lower compared with invested capital than for 52% of comparable investments. All other value indicators are below the market median. Price-to-Sales is 23 which means the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 77% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Kirby's revenue levels. The same is valid for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 52 and for the dividend yields rank which is lower than for 99% of comparable companies, making the stock more expensive as regards to with the company's expected dividend payouts. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 18, is a sell recommendation based on Kirby's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Why are market participants paying such a high price for Kirby, where three out of four value indicators are below par? One reason could be that the company is well financed, indicated by the high book capital level, and has a promising future that is not yet visible in reported revenues and profits. That would also explain the low dividend yield because the company needs the cash to invest in its future. If investors can verify a picture in this sense, the stock may still be a good investment, even though current company-reported financials don't fully explain current stock prices. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	37	28	23	23
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	10	43	48	49
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	75	60	61	52
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	1	1	1	1
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	23	24	23	18

Last update of Value Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Kirby; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 83 (better than 83% compared with alternatives) for 2025, Kirby shows one of the highest growth dynamics in its industry. Investors also speak of high momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Kirby. Profit Growth has a rank of 86 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits more than 86% of its competitors. The same is valid for capital growth and stock returns. Capital Growth has a rank of 65, and Stock Returns has a rank of 57 which means that the stock returns have recently been above 57% of alternative investments. Only revenue growth is low with a Sales Growth has a rank of 42 (58% of its competitors are better). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 83, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The many positive growth indicators indicate a positive growth momentum with only low revenue growth. That can also be attributed to divestments or the sale of unprofitable businesses. If that is the reason, overall growth is well on track to making this stock attractive for growth investors. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	57	58	42	42
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	6	83	64	86
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	21	17	74	65
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	59	75	87	57
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	18	69	81	83

Last update of Growth Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Kirby.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives) for 2025, the company Kirby has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Kirby is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, where all three are above average for Kirby. Leverage is at 84, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 84% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 76, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 76% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 84, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 84% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 98 (better than 98% compared with alternatives), Kirby has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. Investors may not have a debt issue with Kirby but they should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	72	78	85	84
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	64	78	72	76
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	54	47	82	84
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	80	82	94	98

Last update of Safety Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Kirby and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2022	2023	2024	2025
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	100	100	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	50	50	6	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	25	96	66	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	30	42	41	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	39	98	64	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Kirby.
Upgrade to a Premium Account to access the latest ranks.