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Here's Why Investors Should Give Kirby Stock a Miss Now
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Kirby (KEX - Free Report) is facing significant freight market challenges. Escalating operating expenses are adversely affecting the company’s bottom line, making it an unattractive choice for investors’ portfolios.
Let’s delve deeper.
Kirby: Key Risks to Watch
Southward Earnings Estimate Revision:The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has been revised 0.5% downward over the past 60 days. The unfavorable estimate revision indicates brokers’ lack of confidence in the stock.
Dim Price Performance: The company’s price trend reveals that its shares have dropped 18.2% over the past six months compared with the industry’s 20.5% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Weak Zacks Rank: Kirby currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Bearish Industry Rank: The industry to which Kirby belongs currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 242 (out of 250). Such a favorable rank places it in the bottom 3% of Zacks Industries.Studies show that 50% of a stock price movement is directly related to the performance of the industry group it belongs to.
A mediocre stock within a strong group is likely to outclass a robust stock in a weak industry. Hence, reckoning the industry’s performance becomes imperative.
Headwinds: Kirby’s financial stability is challenged by elevated operating expenses and weak liquidity. Rising expenses impose a growing threat to the company’s bottom line. In the first nine months of 2024, costs and expenses increased 3.1% year over year, following a 6.3% rise in 2023 and a 3.5% increase in 2022. These increases were primarily driven by the higher cost of sales, operating expenses, and selling, general and administrative expenses.
Supply-chain disruptions continue to dent shipping stocks like Kirby.
Moreover, the company’sliquidity position is a concern. Cash and cash equivalents of $53.54 million at the end of the third quarter of 2024 were lower than the total debt of $978.59 million. This implies that the company does not have enough cash to meet its debt burden.
The company has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 23.2%. ALK shares have surged 95.9% in the past year.
C.H. Robinson currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). CHRW has an expected earnings growth rate of 9.9% for the current year.
The company has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, delivering an average beat of 10.3%. Shares of CHRW have risen 19.8% in the past year.
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Here's Why Investors Should Give Kirby Stock a Miss Now
Kirby (KEX - Free Report) is facing significant freight market challenges. Escalating operating expenses are adversely affecting the company’s bottom line, making it an unattractive choice for investors’ portfolios.
Let’s delve deeper.
Kirby: Key Risks to Watch
Southward Earnings Estimate Revision:The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has been revised 0.5% downward over the past 60 days. The unfavorable estimate revision indicates brokers’ lack of confidence in the stock.
Dim Price Performance: The company’s price trend reveals that its shares have dropped 18.2% over the past six months compared with the industry’s 20.5% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Weak Zacks Rank: Kirby currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Bearish Industry Rank: The industry to which Kirby belongs currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 242 (out of 250). Such a favorable rank places it in the bottom 3% of Zacks Industries.Studies show that 50% of a stock price movement is directly related to the performance of the industry group it belongs to.
A mediocre stock within a strong group is likely to outclass a robust stock in a weak industry. Hence, reckoning the industry’s performance becomes imperative.
Headwinds: Kirby’s financial stability is challenged by elevated operating expenses and weak liquidity. Rising expenses impose a growing threat to the company’s bottom line. In the first nine months of 2024, costs and expenses increased 3.1% year over year, following a 6.3% rise in 2023 and a 3.5% increase in 2022. These increases were primarily driven by the higher cost of sales, operating expenses, and selling, general and administrative expenses.
Supply-chain disruptions continue to dent shipping stocks like Kirby.
Moreover, the company’sliquidity position is a concern. Cash and cash equivalents of $53.54 million at the end of the third quarter of 2024 were lower than the total debt of $978.59 million. This implies that the company does not have enough cash to meet its debt burden.
Stocks to Consider
Investors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may consider Alaska Air Group (ALK - Free Report) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW - Free Report) .
Alaska Air Group currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. ALK has an expected earnings growth rate of 35.7% for the current year.
The company has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 23.2%. ALK shares have surged 95.9% in the past year.
C.H. Robinson currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). CHRW has an expected earnings growth rate of 9.9% for the current year.
The company has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, delivering an average beat of 10.3%. Shares of CHRW have risen 19.8% in the past year.