The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $72.50.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on SMG. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from $70.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. UBS Group set a $67.00 price target on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th.

Insider Transactions at Scotts Miracle-Gro

In other Scotts Miracle-Gro news, Director Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.40, for a total value of $3,320,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 13,167,641 shares in the company, valued at approximately $874,331,362.40. This trade represents a 0.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mark J. Scheiwer purchased 693 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $71.44 per share, for a total transaction of $49,507.92. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 15,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,098,032.80. The trade was a 4.72% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 24.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Scotts Miracle-Gro

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of SMG. Key Capital Management INC purchased a new position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 201.1% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 527 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 157.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 584 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 156.7% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 634 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 387 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.07% of the company’s stock.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Price Performance

Shares of SMG stock opened at $60.98 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $65.17 and its 200 day moving average is $59.98. Scotts Miracle-Gro has a 1-year low of $45.61 and a 1-year high of $72.35. The company has a market cap of $3.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.48 and a beta of 1.96.

Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The basic materials company reported ($0.77) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.04) by $0.27. The business had revenue of $354.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $353.25 million. Scotts Miracle-Gro had a net margin of 2.68% and a negative return on equity of 68.59%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.89) earnings per share. Scotts Miracle-Gro has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.150-4.35 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Scotts Miracle-Gro will post 3.42 EPS for the current year.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th were given a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. Scotts Miracle-Gro’s dividend payout ratio is currently 179.59%.

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.