Madison Asset Management LLC Invests $7.16 Million in The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company $SMG

Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 105,163 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,163,000. Madison Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.18% of Scotts Miracle-Gro as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of SMG. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 12,034.5% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,008,623 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $66,529,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000,311 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro during the first quarter valued at approximately $50,058,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 161.1% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,289,974 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $78,443,000 after purchasing an additional 795,970 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 458.7% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 822,743 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $54,268,000 after purchasing an additional 675,493 shares during the period. Finally, Brandes Investment Partners LP lifted its position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 362.8% during the fourth quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 737,546 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,036,000 after purchasing an additional 578,174 shares in the last quarter. 74.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Scotts Miracle-Gro News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research increased its FY2026 EPS forecast to $4.43 from $4.30, FY2027 EPS to $4.60 from $4.50, and FY2028 EPS to $4.95 from $4.73. It also raised forecasts for Q2 2027, Q2 2028, and Q3 2028, suggesting analysts see improving profitability beyond the immediate quarters.
• Positive Sentiment: Scotts and the Columbus Crew hosted an Ohio 4-H mowing clinic at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. The community initiative may strengthen the company’s brand and consumer engagement, although it is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Columbus Crew and Scotts Host Ohio 4-H Youth for First-ever Mowing Clinic at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
• Neutral Sentiment: The current full-year consensus EPS estimate remains approximately $4.4 per share, indicating that the longer-term upward revisions have not yet translated into a broad change in the headline annual outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research reduced its Q4 2026 EPS forecast to a loss of $2.15 per share from a loss of $1.95. It also trimmed Q1 2027 EPS to a loss of $0.74, Q4 2027 to a loss of $1.63, and Q1 2028 to a loss of $0.73. These cuts point to weaker near-term seasonal earnings and may weigh on sentiment.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Price Performance

Shares of NYSE SMG opened at $61.20 on Thursday. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has a 1-year low of $52.00 and a 1-year high of $75.34. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $65.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.56 billion, a PE ratio of 53.21 and a beta of 1.82.

Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. Scotts Miracle-Gro had a net margin of 2.19% and a negative return on equity of 81.90%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.59 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company will post 4.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. Scotts Miracle-Gro’s payout ratio is presently 229.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on SMG. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Scotts Miracle-Gro from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $75.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Scotts Miracle-Gro

In other Scotts Miracle-Gro news, Director Stephen L. Johnson sold 1,171 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.32, for a total value of $80,002.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 30,179 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,061,829.28. This represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Mark D. Kingdon sold 831 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.65, for a total transaction of $51,231.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,827 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $667,484.55. This trade represents a 7.13% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 32,002 shares of company stock valued at $2,154,734 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 24.40% 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.