Here's Why You Should Add Kirby Stock to Your Portfolio Now

Core Viewpoint - Kirby Corporation (KEX) is positioned as an impressive investment option due to multiple favorable factors impacting its performance [1]. Performance Overview - KEX has shown a strong price trend, gaining 32% over the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Transportation - Shipping industry's growth of 19.8% [2][7]. Investment Ratings - Kirby holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of B, indicating strong investment potential [4]. Earnings Performance - KEX has a positive earnings surprise history, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters with an average beat of 5.02% [5]. - Earnings for Q2 2025 are projected to grow by 11.19% year over year, while the overall earnings for 2025 are expected to increase by 18.38% year over year [5][7]. Industry Context - The industry rank for Kirby is 29 out of 245, placing it in the top 12% of Zacks Industries, which is crucial for stock performance [8]. Growth Drivers - Kirby is experiencing favorable market conditions, including higher pricing, increased barge utilization, and improved pricing in both inland and coastal markets [9]. Financial Health - As of Q1 2025, Kirby reported cash and cash equivalents of $51 million against a current debt level of $7 million, indicating strong liquidity [10]. - The current ratio stands at 1.58, higher than the previous quarter's 1.45 and the industry average of 1.31, suggesting a lower risk of default [10]. Shareholder Returns - Kirby has been actively repurchasing shares, having bought back 1.6 million shares for $174.6 million in 2024 and 1.25 million shares for $124.7 million as of April 30, 2025 [11].