BTIG has initiated coverage of Kirby with a neutral rating.
The brokerage said the off-shore company's inland barge and marine transportation sectors have turned the corner, but expects distribution and service to continue lagging.
"While we see the potential for a pickup in [distribution and service] in the back half of 2019, we expect the near term to be choppy against a backdrop of more disciplined spending by North American E&P companies" which are core customers for Kirby," analyst Gregory Lewis wrote in a note to clients.
