Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) Lowered to “Neutral” Rating by 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 research note issued to investors on Thursday. They presently have a $67.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price would suggest a potential downside of 0.94% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on SMG. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group set a $67.00 price target on Scotts Miracle-Gro in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Scotts Miracle-Gro from $70.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Scotts Miracle-Gro has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.83.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SMG opened at $67.64 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $3.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.01 and a beta of 1.96. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $65.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $60.13. Scotts Miracle-Gro has a fifty-two week low of $45.61 and a fifty-two week high of $72.35.

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

Insider Activity at Scotts Miracle-Gro

In related news, EVP Mark J. Scheiwer bought 693 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price 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 $1,098,032.80. This trade represents a 4.72% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Hagedorn Partnership, L.P. sold 50,000 shares of the business’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 transaction, the director directly owned 13,167,641 shares in the company, valued at approximately $874,331,362.40. This represents a 0.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 24.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Key Capital Management INC purchased a new stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 201.1% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 527 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Scotts Miracle-Gro during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in Scotts Miracle-Gro by 157.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 584 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 387 shares during the period. 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.