The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company $SMG Holdings Boosted by Deprince Race & Zollo Inc.

Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) by 43.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,036,191 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 314,172 shares during the period. Scotts Miracle-Gro accounts for 1.2% of Deprince Race & Zollo Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. owned 1.79% of Scotts Miracle-Gro worth $60,462,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Monarch Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc. now owns 24,237 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,414,000 after acquiring an additional 1,595 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro during the 4th quarter valued at $1,423,000. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 6.4% during the 4th quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 54,435 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,201,000 after acquiring an additional 3,262 shares in the last quarter. DMC Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro during the 4th quarter valued at $244,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 46.6% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 230,966 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $14,692,000 after acquiring an additional 73,455 shares in the last quarter. 74.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Price Performance

SMG stock opened at $60.65 on Monday. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has a 52-week low of $45.61 and a 52-week high of $72.35. The company has a 50-day moving average of $65.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.26 and a beta of 1.94.

Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The basic materials company reported ($0.77) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $354.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $353.25 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.89) earnings per share. 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. Equities analysts expect that The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company will post 3.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th were paid a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. Scotts Miracle-Gro’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 179.59%.

Insider Activity

In related 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 value of $3,320,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 13,167,641 shares in the company, valued at approximately $874,331,362.40. This trade represents a 0.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Mark J. Scheiwer bought 693 shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was bought at an average price of $71.44 per share, with a total value of $49,507.92. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 15,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,098,032.80. This trade represents a 4.72% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 24.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on SMG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $70.00 to $67.00 in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on 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. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Scotts Miracle-Gro from $70.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. UBS Group set a $67.00 price target on Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Scotts Miracle-Gro presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $73.17.

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.