Are Transportation Stocks Lagging Kirby (KEX) This Year?

Company Overview - Kirby (KEX) is part of the Transportation sector, which includes 132 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of 16 [1] - Kirby is classified under the Transportation - Shipping industry, which consists of 38 companies and is ranked 86 in the Zacks Industry Rank [8] Earnings Performance - Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kirby's full-year earnings has increased by 7.2%, indicating improved analyst sentiment and a stronger earnings outlook [2] - Kirby has achieved a year-to-date return of 50%, significantly outperforming the average return of -4.3% for Transportation companies [10] Comparison with Peers - Matson (MATX), another stock in the Transportation sector, has seen a consensus EPS estimate increase of 6.7% over the past three months and has returned 10% since the beginning of the year [3][7] - The Transportation - Services industry, which includes Matson, has a total of 26 stocks and is currently ranked 185, having declined by 8.9% since the start of the year [4] Investment Outlook - Both Kirby and Matson are highlighted as strong performers in the Transportation sector, suggesting that investors should closely monitor these stocks for potential investment opportunities [9]