Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both. Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor. Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well. What are the Zacks Style Scores? The ...

Group 1: Zacks Premium Overview - Zacks Premium offers various tools for investors, including daily updates on Zacks Rank and Industry Rank, access to the Zacks 1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens to enhance investment confidence [1][2] - The service includes Zacks Style Scores, which are designed to help investors select stocks with the highest potential to outperform the market in the short term [2] Group 2: Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores rate stocks based on value, growth, and momentum characteristics, assigning ratings from A to F, where A indicates the highest potential for outperformance [3][4] - The Value Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios like P/E and Price/Sales [3] - The Growth Score assesses a company's future prospects through projected earnings and sales growth [4] - The Momentum Score identifies stocks with favorable price trends and earnings outlooks [4] - The VGM Score combines all three Style Scores, providing a comprehensive indicator for investors [5] Group 3: Zacks Rank and Performance - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to identify winning stocks, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +25.41% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [6][7] - Investors are encouraged to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B for the best chances of high returns [9] Group 4: Company Spotlight - Kirby Corporation - Kirby Corporation (KEX) is the largest domestic tank barge operator in the U.S., transporting bulk liquid products across various waterways [11] - KEX holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) with a VGM Score of A and a Momentum Style Score of B, having seen a 3.4% increase in shares over the past four weeks [12] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates by analysts have increased the Zacks Consensus Estimate for KEX to $5.44 per share, with an average earnings surprise of 8.7% [12][13]

The Transportation group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has Kirby (KEX) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Transportation sector should help us answer this question. Kirby is a member of the Transportation sector. This group includes 135 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #16. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges th ...

Kirby Corporation (KEX) reported second-quarter 2024 earnings of $1.43 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.32 and improved 50.5% year over year. Total revenues of $824.4 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $821.7 million and improved 6.1% year over year. Total costs and expenses (on a reported basis) grew 2% year over year to $703.89million. Segmental Performance The company operates via two segments, namely, marine transportation, and distribution and services. Revenues i ...

Kirby (KEX) reported $824.39 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2024, representing a year-overyear increase of 6.1%. EPS of $1.43 for the same period compares to $0.95 a year ago. The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $821.73 million, representing a surprise of +0.32%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +8.33%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.32. While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street e ...

Financial Performance - 2Q 2024 revenues increased to $824.4 million, a 6% increase compared to $777.2 million in 2Q 2023 and a 2% increase compared to $808.0 million in 1Q 2024[3] - Net earnings attributable to Kirby increased to $83.9 million, a 46% increase compared to $57.4 million in 2Q 2023 and a 20% increase compared to $70.1 million in 1Q 2024[3] - Earnings per share increased to $1.43, a 50% increase compared to $0.95 in 2Q 2023 and a 20% increase compared to $1.19 in 1Q 2024[3] - Strong cash flow from operations of $179 million with free cash flow of $91 million[3] Marine Transportation - Marine transportation revenue increased by 14% year-over-year to $484.8 million from $427.0 million[8] - Marine transportation operating income increased by 48% year-over-year to $94.9 million from $64.3 million[8] - Inland contributed 81% of marine transportation revenues, with barge utilization in the low to mid-90% range[10] - Coastal contributed 19% of marine transportation revenues, with barge utilization in the mid to high-90% range[10] Distribution & Services - Distribution & Services revenue decreased by 3% year-over-year to $339.6 million from $350.3 million, but increased 2% sequentially from $332.6 million[14] - Power generation revenues increased 9% year-over-year[7, 14] - Oil and Gas revenues decreased 33% year-on-year but increased 22% sequentially[15]

Core Insights - Kirby (KEX) reported quarterly earnings of $1.43 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.32 per share, and showing an increase from $0.95 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of 8.33% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $824.39 million for the quarter ended June 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.32% and up from $777.25 million year-over-year [2] - Kirby's stock has increased approximately 56.6% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 15.8% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.45, with expected revenues of $834.95 million, and for the current fiscal year, the EPS estimate is $5.30 on revenues of $3.28 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Kirby is favorable, leading to a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) for the stock, indicating expectations of outperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Transportation - Shipping industry, to which Kirby belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 40% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential challenges ahead [8] - Another company in the same industry, International Seaways (INSW), is expected to report a year-over-year earnings decline of 19.9% for the quarter ended June 2024, with revenues anticipated to drop 12% from the previous year [9][10]

Kirby (KEX) shares soared 4.7% in the last trading session to close at $129.59. The move was backed by solid volume with far more shares changing hands than in a normal session. This compares to the stock's 4.3% gain over the past four weeks. Shares of Kirby have gained 65% year to date driven by the improving sentiment pertaining to the capesize market. In fact, this year the capesize market has undergone the strongest first quarter since 2011. The current northward movement of the Baltic Dry Index is owin ...

Core Viewpoint - The lawsuit against Lamb Weston alleges that the company made significant misrepresentations regarding its new ERP system, which led to substantial financial losses and operational issues during the transition period [1][4]. Group 1: Financial Impact - Lamb Weston reported a loss of over $130 million in sales during the third quarter of fiscal 2024 due to problems with its ERP system transition [4]. - The ERP transition negatively impacted net sales by $135 million, net income by $72 million, and adjusted EBITDA by $95 million [4]. - The company reduced its sales guidance for fiscal 2024 by $330 million at the midpoint [4]. Group 2: Operational Issues - The ERP system rollout resulted in reduced visibility into finished goods inventory, affecting the company's ability to fulfill customer orders, leading to shipment delays and canceled orders [4]. - Customers affected by the ERP transition began turning to competitors, further impacting sales volumes in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 [4]. Group 3: Stock Market Reaction - Following the announcement of the financial results and ERP issues, Lamb Weston's share price fell by $19.59, approximately 19.46%, from $100.68 to $81.17 [4].

In the prevalent scenario, we believe that investors would do well to keep a tab on Kirby Corporation (KEX) , Golar LNG (GLNG) and Costamare (CMRE) . Red Sea Tensions Boost Freight Rates: The attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants on vessels in the Red Sea have disrupted maritime trade. As a result, many shipping companies have hit the pause button as far as transit through this route is concerned. Keeping the safety of their crew in mind, they are adopting the longer and costlier route around the Cape of Good ...