Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) Cut to “Neutral” at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) was downgraded by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday. They presently have a $67.00 price objective on the basic materials company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective points to a potential downside of 0.94% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Scotts Miracle-Gro from $70.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, UBS Group set a $67.00 target price on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Scotts Miracle-Gro has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.83.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro stock opened at $67.64 on Thursday. Scotts Miracle-Gro has a twelve month low of $45.61 and a twelve month high of $72.35. The company’s 50 day moving average is $65.68 and its 200 day moving average is $60.13. The company has a market cap of $3.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.01 and a beta of 1.96.

Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) last posted 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.89) EPS. Scotts Miracle-Gro has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.150-4.35 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Scotts Miracle-Gro will post 3.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Scotts Miracle-Gro

In other news, EVP Mark J. Scheiwer bought 693 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were bought at an average price of $71.44 per share, for a total transaction of $49,507.92. Following the purchase, 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 purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. sold 50,000 shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the director directly owned 13,167,641 shares in the company, valued at $874,331,362.40. This represents a 0.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 24.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Scotts Miracle-Gro

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SMG. Versor Investments LP purchased a new position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in the third quarter valued at about $1,355,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro during the third quarter worth about $1,425,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 215.2% during the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 31,853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,101,000 after purchasing an additional 21,747 shares in the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP raised its stake in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 333.3% during the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 603,941 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $39,836,000 after purchasing an additional 464,570 shares during the period. Finally, SG Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Scotts Miracle-Gro in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,032,000. 74.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.