194,350 Shares in The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company $SMG Purchased by Ceredex Value Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Ceredex Value Advisors acquired 194,350 shares of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) in the third quarter, a stake valued at about $11.07 million and representing roughly 0.34% of the company.
• Notable insider and institutional moves: EVP Mark J. Scheiwer bought 693 shares while a director sold 50,000 shares; institutional investors own 74.07% of SMG and corporate insiders hold 24.40%.
• Scotts recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.66 (annualized $2.64, ~4.2% yield) despite a high payout ratio (~179.6%), reported a beat on quarterly EPS (-$0.77 vs. -$1.04), set FY2026 guidance at 4.15–4.35 EPS, and carries a MarketBeat consensus of “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $72.50.

Ceredex Value Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 194,350 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $11,068,000. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC owned 0.34% of Scotts Miracle-Gro at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 26.3% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 7,524 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $413,000 after acquiring an additional 1,569 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 18.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 149,882 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $8,227,000 after purchasing an additional 23,446 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 31.0% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 46,401 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $3,061,000 after purchasing an additional 10,992 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 835.1% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 907 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 810 shares during the period. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. raised its holdings in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 22.4% in the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 12,014 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $792,000 after purchasing an additional 2,199 shares in the last quarter. 74.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Scotts Miracle-Gro

In other news, EVP Mark J. Scheiwer acquired 693 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $71.44 per share, for a total transaction of $49,507.92. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 15,370 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,098,032.80. The trade was a 4.72% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.40, for a total value of $3,320,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 13,167,641 shares in the company, valued at $874,331,362.40. This trade represents a 0.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 24.40% of the company's stock.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Trading Down 1.1%

Scotts Miracle-Gro stock opened at $63.58 on Wednesday. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has a 12 month low of $45.61 and a 12 month high of $72.35. The company has a market capitalization of $3.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.25 and a beta of 1.96. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $65.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $59.97.

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

Scotts Miracle-Gro Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. Scotts Miracle-Gro's payout ratio is 179.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group set a $67.00 price objective on Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from $70.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $72.50.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Profile

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.

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