Kirby (KEX) Net-Net Working Capital: $-38.07 (As of Mar. 2026)

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KEX Kirby Corp KEX
81 GF Score
Price $144.16
GF Value $120.06
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 6 Warning Signs
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What is Kirby Net-Net Working Capital?

Kirby KEX +0.56% 81 Net-Net Working Capital is $-38.07 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates KEX with a GF Score™ of 81/100 and a GF Value™ of $120.06 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 220 Transportation companies, Kirby ranks worse than 454545% on this metric.

In calculating the Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC), Benjamin Graham assumed that a company's accounts receivable is only worth 75% its value, its inventory is only worth 50% of its value, but its liabilities have to be paid in full. In addition, Graham believed that preferred stock belongs on the liability side of the balance sheet, not as part of capital and surplus. This is a conservative way of estimating the company's value.

Kirby's Net-Net Working Capital for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $-38.07.

The industry rank for Kirby's Net-Net Working Capital or its related term are showing as below:

KEX's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital is not ranked *
in the Transportation industry.
Industry Median: 6.25
* Ranked among companies with meaningful Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital only.

Kirby  (NYSE:KEX) Net-Net Working Capital Explanation

One research study, covering the years 1970 through 1983 showed that portfolios picked at the beginning of each year, and held for one year, returned 29.4 percent, on average, over the 13-year period, compared to 11.5 percent for the S&P 500 Index. Other studies of Graham's strategy produced similar results.

Benjamin Graham looked for companies whose market values were less than two-thirds of their net-net value. They are collected under our Net-Net screener.


Kirby Net-Net Working Capital Related Terms


Kirby Net-Net Working Capital Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Kirby's Net-Net Working Capital 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.

Kirby Net-Net Working Capital Chart

Kirby Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Net-Net Working Capital
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -33.25 -30.68 -32.10 -32.51 -37.09

Kirby Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Net-Net Working Capital Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -36.21 -35.45 -37.46 -37.09 -38.07

KEX vs MATX, ZIM, SBLK: Net-Net Working Capital Comparison

For the Marine Shipping subindustry, Kirby's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital, along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital 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 Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital vs Transportation Industry

For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Kirby's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Kirby's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital falls into.


KEX
81GF Score
Kirby Corp KEX
Net-Net Working Capital is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Kirby Net-Net Working Capital Calculation

Kirby's Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC) per share for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as

Net-Net Working Capital(A: Dec. 2025 )
=(Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities+0.75 * Accounts Receivable+0.5 * Total Inventories-Total Liabilities
-Preferred Stock-Minority Interest)/Shares Outstanding (EOP)
=(78.775+0.75 * 473.497+0.5 * 398.026-2625.252
-0-2.281)/53.771
=-37.09

Kirby's Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC) per share for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as

Net-Net Working Capital(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=(Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities+0.75 * Accounts Receivable+0.5 * Total Inventories-Total Liabilities
-Preferred Stock-Minority Interest)/Shares Outstanding (EOP)
=(58.014+0.75 * 536.35+0.5 * 418.076-2702.528
-0-2.41)/53.472
=-38.07

* 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 calculating the Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC), Benjamin Graham assumed that a company's accounts receivable is only worth 75% its value, its inventory is only worth 50% of its value, but its liabilities have to be paid in full.

In addition, Graham believed that preferred stock belongs on the liability side of the balance sheet, not as part of capital and surplus. In "Security Analysis", preferred stock is dubbed "an imperfect creditorship position" that is best placed on the balance sheet alongside funded debt.

This is a conservative way of estimating the company's value.

What does a Net-Net Working Capital of $-38.07 mean?
Kirby (KEX) has a Net-Net Working Capital of $-38.07 as of Mar. 2026. Ben Graham defined net-net working capital as the per-share sum of cash, 75% of receivables and 50% of inventory less total liabilities. View historical data on Kirby According to the industry distribution chart, Kirby ranks #999999 out of 220 companies in the Transportation industry.
Is Kirby's Net-Net Working Capital too high?
Kirby's current Net-Net Working Capital is $-38.07. Based on the distribution chart, Kirby ranks #999999 out of 220 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. 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 Net-Net Working Capital compare to MATX and ZIM?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Kirby ranks #999999 out of 220 companies for Net-Net Working Capital. This places Kirby in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Net-Net Working Capital is 6.25. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Net-Net Working Capital for a Transportation company?
The median Net-Net Working Capital among Transportation companies is 6.25, based on 220 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Net-Net Working Capital significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Net-Net Working Capital should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Net-Net Working Capital mean?
A high Net-Net Working Capital can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Ben Graham defined net-net working capital as the per-share sum of cash, 75% of receivables and 50% of inventory less total liabilities. View historical data on Kirby For the Transportation industry, the median Net-Net Working Capital is 6.25 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kirby's current Net-Net Working Capital is $-38.07. 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 $120.06, compared to a current price of $144.16 — trading 20.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Net-Net Working Capital is $-38.07. 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 Net-Net Working Capital calculated?
Net-Net Working Capital is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Kirby (KEX), the current Net-Net Working Capital is $-38.07 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 $144.16 is trading 20.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $120.06. GuruFocus considers Kirby to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for KEX:

  • Net-Net Working Capital: $-38.07
  • GF Value™: $120.06 vs. price of $144.16 (20.1% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 81/100 with 6 warning signs

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 Business Description

Other Exchanges KIY:Germany
Address 55 Waugh Drive, Suite 1000, Houston, TX, USA, 77007
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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Net-Net Working Capital is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$144.16
Price
$120.06
GF Value