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Side-by-side financial comparison of KIRBY CORP (KEX) and Knife River Corp (KNF). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

KIRBY CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($844.1M vs $755.1M, roughly 1.1× Knife River Corp). KIRBY CORP runs the higher net margin — 9.6% vs 4.2%, a 5.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Knife River Corp posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (14.9% vs 7.4%). Knife River Corp produced more free cash flow last quarter ($138.2M vs $49.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Knife River Corp's revenue compounded faster (51.4% CAGR vs 1.2%).

Kirby Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is the largest tank barge operator in the United States, transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, along all three U.S. Coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii. Products transported by Kirby include petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemical products by tank barge. Kirby also owns and operates eight ocean-going barge and tug units transporting ...

Columbia River Knife & Tool, Inc. (CRKT) is an American knife company established in 1994, and currently based in Tualatin, Oregon, United States. The company's president and sales executive is Rod Bremer and the finance executive is Peggy Bremer.

KEX vs KNF — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
KEX
KEX
1.1× larger
KEX
$844.1M
$755.1M
KNF
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
KNF
KNF
+7.5% gap
KNF
14.9%
7.4%
KEX
Higher net margin
KEX
KEX
5.4% more per $
KEX
9.6%
4.2%
KNF
More free cash flow
KNF
KNF
$88.8M more FCF
KNF
$138.2M
$49.4M
KEX
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
KNF
KNF
Annualised
KNF
51.4%
1.2%
KEX

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Revenue
$844.1M
$755.1M
Net Profit
$81.3M
$32.0M
Gross Margin
19.2%
Operating Margin
12.8%
8.6%
Net Margin
9.6%
4.2%
Revenue YoY
7.4%
14.9%
Net Profit YoY
6.6%
37.6%
EPS (diluted)
$1.50
$0.56

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
$844.1M
Q4 25
$851.8M
$755.1M
Q3 25
$871.2M
$1.2B
Q2 25
$855.5M
$833.8M
Q1 25
$785.7M
$353.5M
Q4 24
$802.3M
$657.2M
Q3 24
$831.1M
$1.1B
Q2 24
$824.4M
$806.9M
Net Profit
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
$81.3M
Q4 25
$91.8M
$32.0M
Q3 25
$92.5M
$143.2M
Q2 25
$94.3M
$50.6M
Q1 25
$76.0M
$-68.7M
Q4 24
$42.8M
$23.3M
Q3 24
$90.0M
$148.1M
Q2 24
$83.9M
$77.9M
Gross Margin
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
Q4 25
19.2%
Q3 25
23.6%
Q2 25
18.9%
Q1 25
-2.7%
Q4 24
17.4%
Q3 24
24.7%
Q2 24
21.8%
Operating Margin
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
12.8%
Q4 25
15.2%
8.6%
Q3 25
14.8%
17.9%
Q2 25
15.4%
10.6%
Q1 25
13.4%
-23.4%
Q4 24
6.3%
6.7%
Q3 24
15.3%
18.9%
Q2 24
14.6%
14.5%
Net Margin
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
9.6%
Q4 25
10.8%
4.2%
Q3 25
10.6%
11.9%
Q2 25
11.0%
6.1%
Q1 25
9.7%
-19.4%
Q4 24
5.3%
3.5%
Q3 24
10.8%
13.4%
Q2 24
10.2%
9.7%
EPS (diluted)
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
$1.50
Q4 25
$1.68
$0.56
Q3 25
$1.65
$2.52
Q2 25
$1.67
$0.89
Q1 25
$1.33
$-1.21
Q4 24
$0.74
$0.42
Q3 24
$1.55
$2.60
Q2 24
$1.43
$1.37

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$58.0M
$73.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.2B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$3.4B
$1.6B
Total Assets
$3.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.71×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
$58.0M
Q4 25
$78.8M
$73.8M
Q3 25
$47.0M
$30.7M
Q2 25
$68.4M
$26.6M
Q1 25
$51.1M
$86.1M
Q4 24
$74.4M
$236.8M
Q3 24
$67.1M
$220.4M
Q2 24
$53.5M
$15.5M
Total Debt
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
Q4 25
$919.3M
$1.2B
Q3 25
$1.0B
$1.2B
Q2 25
$1.1B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$1.2B
Q4 24
$874.9M
$677.4M
Q3 24
$978.6M
$678.5M
Q2 24
$1.0B
$679.5M
Stockholders' Equity
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
$3.4B
Q4 25
$3.4B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$3.4B
$1.6B
Q2 25
$3.4B
$1.5B
Q1 25
$3.3B
$1.4B
Q4 24
$3.4B
$1.5B
Q3 24
$3.3B
$1.4B
Q2 24
$3.3B
$1.3B
Total Assets
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
Q4 25
$6.0B
$3.7B
Q3 25
$6.1B
$3.7B
Q2 25
$6.1B
$3.6B
Q1 25
$6.0B
$3.3B
Q4 24
$5.9B
$2.9B
Q3 24
$5.9B
$2.9B
Q2 24
$5.9B
$2.7B
Debt / Equity
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.27×
0.71×
Q3 25
0.31×
0.74×
Q2 25
0.33×
0.93×
Q1 25
0.33×
0.83×
Q4 24
0.26×
0.46×
Q3 24
0.30×
0.47×
Q2 24
0.32×
0.52×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$97.7M
$195.9M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$49.4M
$138.2M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
5.9%
18.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
5.7%
7.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.20×
6.12×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$497.3M
$-69.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
$97.7M
Q4 25
$312.2M
$195.9M
Q3 25
$227.5M
$250.4M
Q2 25
$93.9M
$-42.6M
Q1 25
$36.5M
$-125.3M
Q4 24
$247.4M
$172.4M
Q3 24
$206.5M
$239.7M
Q2 24
$179.3M
$-46.6M
Free Cash Flow
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
$49.4M
Q4 25
$265.2M
$138.2M
Q3 25
$160.3M
$188.7M
Q2 25
$22.4M
$-196.2M
Q1 25
$-42.1M
$-200.2M
Q4 24
$150.7M
$127.2M
Q3 24
$130.1M
$216.1M
Q2 24
$90.8M
$-106.5M
FCF Margin
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
5.9%
Q4 25
31.1%
18.3%
Q3 25
18.4%
15.7%
Q2 25
2.6%
-23.5%
Q1 25
-5.4%
-56.6%
Q4 24
18.8%
19.3%
Q3 24
15.7%
19.6%
Q2 24
11.0%
-13.2%
Capex Intensity
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
5.7%
Q4 25
5.5%
7.6%
Q3 25
7.7%
5.1%
Q2 25
8.4%
18.4%
Q1 25
10.0%
21.2%
Q4 24
12.0%
6.9%
Q3 24
9.2%
2.1%
Q2 24
10.7%
7.4%
Cash Conversion
KEX
KEX
KNF
KNF
Q1 26
1.20×
Q4 25
3.40×
6.12×
Q3 25
2.46×
1.75×
Q2 25
1.00×
-0.84×
Q1 25
0.48×
Q4 24
5.78×
7.41×
Q3 24
2.30×
1.62×
Q2 24
2.14×
-0.60×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

KEX
KEX

Marine transportation$497.2M59%
Distribution and services$346.9M41%

KNF
KNF

Services$347.2M46%
Ready Mix Concrete$88.4M12%
Contracting Services Public Sector$80.2M11%
Aggregates$73.9M10%
Energy Services Segment$56.2M7%
Liquid Asphalt$49.1M7%
Other$43.2M6%
Asphalt$22.7M3%

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