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KirbyKEX +0.87%81 Debt-to-Equity is 0.35 as of Mar. 2026, which is 15% below its 10-year median of 0.41. GuruFocus rates KEX with a GF Score™ of 81/100 and a GF Value™ of $120.13 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 910 Transportation companies, Kirby ranks better than 62.75% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Kirby's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
KEX'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.05 Med: 0.41 Max: 0.61
Current: 0.35
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Kirby was 0.61. The lowest was 0.05. And the median was 0.41.
KEX's Debt-to-Equity is ranked better than 62.75% of 910
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 0.53
vs KEX: 0.35
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Kirby Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Kirby Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Kirby's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Marine Shipping subindustry, Kirby's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Kirby Debt-to-Equity vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Kirby's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Kirby's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Kirby (KEX) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.35 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Kirby and its competitors. This is 15% below median its historical median of 0.41. Over the past decade, Kirby's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.05 to 0.61. According to the industry distribution chart, Kirby ranks #339 out of 910 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 37.3%.
Is Kirby's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Kirby's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.35 is 15% below median its 10-year median of 0.41. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.05 to a high of 0.61. The Transportation industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.53. Kirby's value of 0.35 is 34% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Kirby ranks #339 out of 910 companies in the Transportation industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Kirby has a GF Score™ of 81/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kirby's Debt-to-Equity compare to MATX and ZIM?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Kirby ranks #339 out of 910 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This puts Kirby in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.53. Kirby's value of 0.35 is 34% below this benchmark. Historically, Kirby's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.05 to 0.61 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.41 vs. the industry median of 0.53, Kirby has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Transportation company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Transportation companies is 0.53, based on 910 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Kirby's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.35 is 34% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Kirby and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.53 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kirby's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.35, which is 15% below median its own 10-year median of 0.41. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Kirby stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kirby (KEX) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $120.13, compared to a current price of $150.00 — trading 24.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.35, which is 15% below median its 10-year median of 0.41 and 34% below the Transportation industry median of 0.53. Kirby's overall GF Score™ is 81/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Kirby (KEX), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.35 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Kirby (KEX) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kirby stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $150.00 is trading 24.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of $120.13.
GuruFocus considers Kirby to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for KEX:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.35 (15% below median its 10-year median of 0.41)
GF Value™: $120.13 vs. price of $150.00 (24.9% above fair value)
Industry Position: 34% below the Transportation median (#339 of 910)
No single metric tells the full story. See the KEX stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Kirby Corp is a domestic tank barge operator, transporting bulk liquid products throughout three United States coasts. The Company transports petrochemicals, liquid cargoes, inland waterway systems, and dry bulk cargoes. The Company conducts operations in two reportable business segments: The Marine transportation segment which provides marine transportation services, operating tank barges and towing vessels transporting bulk liquid products, and the Distribution and services segment, which provides after-market service, and genuine replacement parts for engines, transmissions, reduction gears, and power generation equipment used in oil and gas and commercial and industrial applications. The company's majority revenue is generated from the Marine Transportation segment.
81GF Score
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