Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Technical breakout: SMG shares have crossed above their 200-day moving average
• Mixed analyst view but upside: Four analysts rate the stock Buy and four Hold, giving an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $73.17 (range roughly $67–$79).
• Fundamentals and payout risks: The company beat quarterly EPS estimates (-$0.77 vs. -$1.04) and set FY2026 guidance of 4.15–4.35 EPS (consensus ~4.27), while paying a 4.0% dividend that carries a high payout ratio (~179.6%), which may raise sustainability concerns.

Shares of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $60.61 and traded as high as $66.82. Scotts Miracle-Gro shares last traded at $66.47, with a volume of 673,363 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on SMG shares. UBS Group set a $67.00 price objective on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from $75.00 to $72.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $70.00 to $67.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective 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. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $73.17.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $3.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.22 and a beta of 1.94. The business's 50-day moving average is $65.23 and its 200-day moving average is $60.61.

Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The basic materials company reported ($0.77) earnings per share (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 analysts' expectations 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 for the quarter was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.89) EPS. Scotts Miracle-Gro has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.150-4.35 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. Scotts Miracle-Gro's dividend payout ratio is currently 179.59%.

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 shares were sold at an average price of $66.40, for a total transaction of $3,320,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 13,167,641 shares of the company's stock, valued at $874,331,362.40. This represents a 0.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Mark J. Scheiwer acquired 693 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were 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 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 disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 24.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Scotts Miracle-Gro

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SMG. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 26.3% during 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 during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 18.5% during the 1st 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 worth $8,227,000 after acquiring an additional 23,446 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 34.6% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 4,745 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 1,219 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 71.2% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 247,749 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $16,342,000 after acquiring an additional 102,997 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Scotts Miracle-Gro during the 2nd quarter worth about $309,000. Institutional investors own 74.07% of the company's stock.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Company 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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