KIRBY CORPORATION vs ZIM INTEGRATED SHIPPING SERVICES LTD., two Marine Shipping stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Domestic barge transport against global container liner shipping. Kirby's inland network earns a 10.51% net margin, ZIM's ocean liners a slimmer 6.97% in a soft freight patch. The valuations diverge hard: ZIM trades below its own equity at 0.77 times book and 6.43 times earnings, while Kirby sits at 2.16 times book and 21.02 times earnings, priced for stability. ZIM's free-cash-flow yield of 18.64% far exceeds Kirby's 6.74%, but ZIM's earnings whip around with box rates where Kirby's roll steadily. Kirby carries modest debt at 0.29, ZIM none. Kirby is the calm domestic hauler, ZIM the deep-cyclical carrier priced for a downturn, alike only in moving boxes over water.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | KEX | ZIM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $143.68 | $23.98 |
| Market cap | $7.8B | $2.9B |
| Sector | Marine Shipping | Marine Shipping |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +14.8% | — |
| P/E | 22.1 | 6.0 |
| P/B | 2.27 | 0.72 |
| P/S | 2.27 | 0.42 |
| EV/EBITDA | 11.3 | 0.8 |
| Revenue growth | +5.5% | +0.8% |
| Gross margin | — | 19.1% |
| Operating margin | 12.8% | 14.7% |
| Net margin | 10.5% | 7.0% |
| Return on equity | 10.5% | 12.0% |
| Return on assets | 5.9% | 4.4% |
| Return on invested capital | 8.8% | 18.4% |
| FCF yield | 6.4% | 79.6% |
| Debt / equity | 0.29 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 1.59 | 1.23 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.48 | 1.48 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 4 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.