Why Kirby Plunged

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What: Shares of Kirby (NYS: KEX) plunged by as much as 12% before recovering to a 7.5% loss after the company disclosed that earnings would be soft this year.

So what: CEO Joseph Pyne presented today at a Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Transportation Conference and said that the company expects earnings for the year to be on the low end of the previously announced guidance range. Earnings per share are expected between $3.85 and $4.05.

Now what: The consensus estimate for the year calls for $4.02, so Pyne is effectively saying the company should miss the Street's profit forecast for the year. There was no specific mention of what level of revenue to expect, but analysts are asking for $2.3 billion this year. Pyne's presentation at the conference will outline numerous factors that could affect the company's performance, and an audio replay will be available on Kirby's website.

Interested in more info on Kirby? Add it to yourWatchlist.

At the time thisarticle was published Fool contributorEvan Niuholds no position in any company mentioned. Check out hisholdings and a short bio. The Motley Fool owns shares of Bank of America. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days.

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