KirbyKEX -0.30%83 Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.62 as of Mar. 2026, which is 14% below its 10-year median of 1.88. GuruFocus rates KEX with a GF Score™ of 83/100 and a GF Value™ of $119.13 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 871 Transportation companies, Kirby ranks better than 68.89% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Kirby's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
KEX'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -39.43 Med: 1.88 Max: 3.65
Current: 1.5
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Kirby was 3.65. The lowest was -39.43. And the median was 1.88.
KEX's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked better than 68.89% of 871
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 2.63
vs KEX: 1.50
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Kirby Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Kirby Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Kirby's Debt-to-EBITDA 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-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA 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-EBITDA vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Kirby's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Kirby's Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Kirby (KEX) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.62 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Kirby. This is 14% below median its historical median of 1.88. According to the industry distribution chart, Kirby ranks #271 out of 871 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 31.1%.
Is Kirby's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Kirby's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.62 is 14% below median its 10-year median of 1.88. The Transportation industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.63. Kirby's value of 1.62 is 38.4% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Kirby ranks #271 out of 871 companies in the Transportation industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Kirby has a GF Score™ of 83/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kirby's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to MATX and SBLK?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Kirby ranks #271 out of 871 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This puts Kirby in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.63. Kirby's value of 1.62 is 38.4% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 1.88 vs. the industry median of 2.63, 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-EBITDA for a Transportation company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Transportation companies is 2.63, based on 871 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Kirby's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.62 is 38.4% 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-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Kirby. For the Transportation industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.63 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kirby's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.62, which is 14% below median its own 10-year median of 1.88. 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 $119.13, compared to a current price of $137.82 — trading 15.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.62, which is 14% below median its 10-year median of 1.88 and 38.4% below the Transportation industry median of 2.63. Kirby's overall GF Score™ is 83/100 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-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Kirby (KEX), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.62 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 $137.82 is trading 15.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $119.13.
GuruFocus considers Kirby to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for KEX:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 1.62 (14% below median its 10-year median of 1.88)
GF Value™: $119.13 vs. price of $137.82 (15.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 38.4% below the Transportation median (#271 of 871)
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.
83GF Score
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