CluenexKirby Corporation KEX
Kirby Corporation scores average on business quality (4.9 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.
Why it matters
- What Kirby Corporation does
Kirby operates marine transportation fleets and distributes diesel engines. It moves bulk liquid products for petrochemical and refining companies along US waterways.
- What it does best
Kirby dominates inland tank barge transportation in the US. It commands unmatched scale across vital shipping corridors, erecting a steep barrier against smaller marine logistics operators.
- The main risk
Vulnerability to marine shipping demand fluctuations and industrial activity slowdowns threatens top-line stability.
Quality, check by check
Scored against its own industry, from company filings.
Operating margin stands at 13.9% with an ROE of 10.45%, reflecting solid middle-of-the-pack sector efficiency. Profitability expands moderately with scale.
Asset-heavy inland marine fleets create tough barriers for new entrants, though a gross margin of 33.2% leaves it in the 36th percentile of industrials.
Revenue grew 3.0% to reach $3.48 billion, continuing a steady multi-year expansion from $2.17 billion in 2020.
Debt-to-equity sits at 0.3x with interest coverage of 11x, meaning debt costs are easily managed. Free cash flow reached $476.0 million, pointing to a strengthening cash profile.
Insiders
Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.
No open market buys or unplanned sales by executives or directors.
Our sealed record on KEX
Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.
The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.
Questions
Kirby Corporation scores average on the Cluenex quality check (4.9 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is weak, moat weak, growth slow and financial health strong.
In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: No open market buys or unplanned sales by executives or directors.
Oct 28, 2026, before the open.
See KEX today
- Today's verdict on KEX, and why
- Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
- The exact price that would change the verdict
- Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
Cite this page: Cluenex, “Kirby Corporation (KEX)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/kex/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.