11 Best Marine Shipping Stocks to Invest in Now

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1. Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41

Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) operates domestic tank barges in the US. Through the marine transportation segment, the company transports petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemicals by tank barge. Stifel analysts sustained a “Buy” rating on the company’s stock with a price objective of $135.00. The company’s sales of power equipment for data centers were highlighted. As per the analysts, the M&A opportunities in the inland barge market appear to be increasingly tangible, which can act as a catalyst for Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX)’s stock.

The company continues to experience a strong demand throughout its business segments. Its emphasis on the inland barge market, together with its strong sales in power equipment, places it well in the industry. The firm’s report demonstrated confidence in Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX)’s operational strength and its growth potential, mainly given the possible impact of strategic acquisitions. For FY 2024, it saw net earnings attributable to the company of $286.7 million or $4.91 per share as compared to $222.9 million or $3.72 per share for 2023. Overall, Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX)’s barge utilization rates averaged in the 90% range for Q4 2024. During the quarter, the stable customer demand, together with continued limited availability of large capacity vessels, led to mid-to-high-20% YoY increases on term contract renewals as well as average spot market rates that increased in the low teens range YoY.

While we acknowledge the potential of KEX as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than KEX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

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