Zacks Research Issues Negative Forecast for SMG Earnings

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note issued to investors on Monday, May 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings of $2.49 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.86. The consensus estimate for Scotts Miracle-Gro’s current full-year earnings is $4.35 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Scotts Miracle-Gro’s Q4 2026 earnings at ($1.95) EPS, FY2026 earnings at $4.30 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at ($0.73) EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at ($1.62) EPS.

Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The basic materials company reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.97 by $0.56. The firm had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. Scotts Miracle-Gro had a negative return on equity of 79.61% and a net margin of 3.27%.Scotts Miracle-Gro’s revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.98 earnings per share.

SMG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Scotts Miracle-Gro from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Scotts Miracle-Gro from $75.00 to $72.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $79.00 price target on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Scotts Miracle-Gro from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $67.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $73.50.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Trading Up 3.5%

Shares of SMG opened at $58.29 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $62.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $61.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.56 and a beta of 1.88. Scotts Miracle-Gro has a 1-year low of $52.00 and a 1-year high of $72.35.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Scotts Miracle-Gro

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Scotts Miracle-Gro during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Key Capital Management INC acquired a new stake in Scotts Miracle-Gro during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 201.1% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 527 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Scotts Miracle-Gro during the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 157.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 584 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the period. 74.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Scotts Miracle-Gro news, EVP Mark J. Scheiwer acquired 693 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $71.44 per share, for a total transaction of $49,507.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,098,032.80. The trade was a 4.72% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 24.40% of the company’s stock.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.5%. Scotts Miracle-Gro’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 147.49%.

Scotts Miracle-Gro News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Scotts Miracle-Gro this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised estimates for FY2026 EPS to $4.30 from $4.21 and also nudged Q4 2027 EPS higher, suggesting improved confidence in Scotts Miracle-Gro’s earnings outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts also lifted Q2 2027 and FY2028 EPS estimates, which may help investor sentiment by signaling longer-term earnings resilience.
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotts Miracle-Gro said it will participate in the William Blair 46th Annual Growth Stock Conference on June 3, keeping the company in front of investors and potentially providing a platform for fresh commentary. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some near-term estimates were cut, including Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q1 2027, and FY2027, which may pressure the shares by highlighting ongoing earnings volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Even after the upgrades, several projections still call for negative EPS in parts of 2026 and 2027, underscoring seasonal weakness and margin challenges for the lawn-and-garden business.

About Scotts Miracle-Gro

Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of consumer lawn and garden products. The firm serves both retail and professional customers through an array of branded offerings that include lawn fertilizers, grass seed, pest and disease control solutions, plant foods and specialty products for indoor and outdoor gardening. Its portfolio spans well-known names such as Scotts®, Miracle-Gro®, Ortho® and various hydroponic and specialty garden brands.

Headquartered in Marysville, Ohio, the company traces its roots to O.M.