ScottsMiracle-Gro Reaffirms Fiscal 2026 Guidance, Announces Investor Day Details
Rhea-AI Summary
ScottsMiracle-Gro (NYSE: SMG) reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 outlook and detailed its 2026 Investor Day. Guidance includes low single-digit U.S. Consumer net sales growth, non-GAAP adjusted gross margin of at least 32%, EPS of $4.15–$4.35, mid single-digit adjusted EBITDA growth, and about $275 million free cash flow, targeting leverage in the high 3s and enabling share repurchases by year-end. Year-to-date branded consumer POS is up ~1%, with about 90% of commodities locked. Investor Day will be held at the NYSE on August 4, 2026.
Positive
- Reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $4.15–$4.35 from continuing operations
- Targeting non-GAAP adjusted gross margin of at least 32% in fiscal 2026
- Expecting non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA mid single-digit growth in fiscal 2026
- Forecasting about $275 million of fiscal 2026 free cash flow
- Leverage ratio expected to decline into the high 3s
- Plan to begin executing share repurchases by the end of calendar 2026
Negative
- Year-to-date branded consumer POS dollars up only around 1% versus prior year
- Leverage ratio guidance in the high 3s indicates continued elevated debt levels
News Market Reaction – SMG
In the Jun 3 session, SMG gained 0.97%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction. Our momentum scanner triggered 3 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20 | Conference webcast | Neutral | +1.7% | Announcement of William Blair conference presentation and webcast access details. |
| May 05 | Community initiative | Neutral | +4.7% | GroMoreGood Grassroots grants supporting youth gardens and outdoor spaces. |
| Apr 29 | Earnings results | Positive | -4.5% | Stronger Q2 sales, margin expansion, EPS growth and reaffirmed FY26 guidance. |
| Apr 22 | Earnings timing | Neutral | +0.9% | Scheduling and access details for Q2 FY26 earnings release and webcast. |
| Apr 20 | Dividend declaration | Positive | -3.2% | Announcement of $0.66 quarterly cash dividend and payment timeline. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent positive fundamental updates, including strong Q2 results and dividend news, have twice coincided with negative next-day moves, suggesting occasional divergence between fundamentals and immediate price reaction.
Over the past few months, ScottsMiracle-Gro has highlighted several shareholder-focused developments. On Apr 29, Q2 FY26 results showed stronger sales and margins, and guidance for FY26 was reaffirmed with targets like at least 32% adjusted gross margin and $275 million in free cash flow. A quarterly dividend of $0.66 per share was announced on Apr 20. The company also maintained active investor communication through conference webcasts and community initiatives. Today’s reaffirmation of FY26 guidance and Investor Day details fit this pattern of emphasizing medium-term financial and strategic goals.
Key Terms
non-gaap financial
adjusted ebitda financial
free cash flow financial
leverage ratio financial
continuing operations financial
investor day financial
webcast technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
MARYSVILLE, Ohio, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG), the leading marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products in North America, announced today that it is reaffirming its full fiscal year 2026 guidance. The Company is providing the financial update before the close of its fiscal third quarter on June 27 to coincide with its presentation today at the William Blair Annual Growth Stock Conference.
The Company reported that entering June its year-to-date branded consumer POS dollars are up around 1 percent versus the same period prior year. Additionally, the Company noted that approximately 90 percent of its commodities are locked entering June for fiscal 2026, providing strong confidence in its ability to mitigate the impact of inflationary pressures and achieve its gross margin guidance of at least 32 percent.
“With the peak lawn and garden season upon us, we continue to see positive trends on a number of fronts, from consistent retailer engagement to steady consumer takeaway,” said Jim Hagedorn, chairman and CEO. “Our strategy to focus on our higher-margin branded products, expand our channels and reach broader demographic groups has us tracking well to our fiscal 2026 guidance that is foundational to our longer-range financial goals.”
Nate Baxter, president and chief operating officer, added, “We are navigating the seasonal nature of our business and the inevitable fluctuations stemming from regional weather challenges in early May. We are seeing gains in POS and retailer replenishment since Memorial Day on the strength of our consumer activation, advertising and ecommerce initiatives. We are extending the lawn and garden season far beyond spring and relentlessly executing our operating plan that is built to drive our full-year results.”
Mark Scheiwer, chief financial officer and chief accounting officer, said, “Our performance to date has given us confidence in our fiscal 2026 guidance and ability to deliver net sales growth, gross margin expansion and profitability improvement that are central to greater shareholder value. Achieving our adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow targets will enable us to keep our leverage ratio in the high 3’s and begin executing our share repurchase program by the end of the calendar year.”
Fiscal 2026 Outlook
The fiscal 2026 guidance that has been reaffirmed by the Company includes:
- U.S. Consumer net sales low single-digit growth
- Non-GAAP adjusted gross margin of at least
32% - Non-GAAP adjusted net income per share from continuing operations of
$4.15 t o$4.35 - Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA mid single-digit growth
- Free cash flow of approximately
$275 million , driving leverage ratio down to the high 3’s
The Company will provide more commentary today when it participates in the William Blair 46th Annual Growth Stock Conference in Chicago at 4:20 p.m. ET. Investors and other interested parties may listen to a live webcast of the presentation from the events page of the Company’s investor relations website. An archive of the webcast will be available on the website for at least 90 days.
2026 Investor Day Details
The Company will host its 2026 Investor Day at the New York Stock Exchange on August 4, 2026 beginning at 9 a.m. ET. Members of the executive and senior leadership team will discuss the Company’s mid- to long-term strategic priorities and financial goals followed by a question-and-answer session. For investors interested in viewing the presentation online, a live webcast of the presentation can be accessed through Vimeo. For those unable to participate during the live webcast, a replay will be available on the Investor Relations website.
Please register your attendance no later than July 7, 2026 with Investor Relations by email to investor@scotts.com with your full name, company, email address and contact phone number.
About ScottsMiracle-Gro
With approximately
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, which address activities, events and developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, but not limited to, information regarding the future economic performance and financial condition of the Company, the plans and objectives of the Company’s management, and the Company’s assumptions regarding such performance and plans are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified as statements that include phrases such as “guidance,” “outlook,” “projected,” “believe,” “target,” “predict,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “strategy,” “may,” “goal,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “likely,” “will,” “should” or other similar words or phrases. Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking information in this release due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
- An economic downturn and economic uncertainty may adversely affect demand for the Company’s products;
- The Company’s operations, financial condition or reputation may be impaired if its information or operational technology systems fail to perform adequately or if the Company is the subject of a data breach or cyber attack;
- The highly competitive nature of the Company’s markets could adversely affect its ability to maintain or grow revenues;
- In the event of a disaster, the Company’s disaster recovery and business continuity plans may fail, which could adversely interrupt its operations;
- Climate change and unfavorable weather conditions could adversely impact financial results;
- The Company may not successfully develop new product lines and products or improve existing product lines and products;
- The Company’s indebtedness could limit its flexibility and adversely affect its financial condition;
- Compliance with environmental and other public health regulations or changes in such regulations or regulatory enforcement priorities could increase the Company’s costs of doing business or limit its ability to market certain products;
- Because of the concentration of the Company’s sales to a small number of retail customers, the loss of one or more of, or significant reduction in orders from, any of its top customers, or a material reduction in the inventory of the Company’s products that they carry, could adversely affect the Company’s financial results;
- If the perception of the Company’s brands or organizational reputation are damaged, its consumers, distributors and retailers may react negatively, which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations;
- The Company’s success depends on the retention and availability of key personnel and the effective succession of senior management; and
- The Company is involved in a number of legal proceedings and, while it cannot predict the outcomes of such proceedings and other contingencies with certainty, some of these outcomes could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Additional detailed information concerning a number of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information contained in this release is readily available in the Company’s publicly filed quarterly, annual and other reports. The Company disclaims any obligation to update developments of these risk factors or to announce publicly any revision to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this release, or to make corrections to reflect future events or developments.
For investor inquiries:
Brad Chelton
Vice President
Treasury, Tax and Investor Relations
brad.chelton@scotts.com
(937) 309-2503
For media inquiries:
Tom Matthews
Chief Communications Officer
tom.matthews@scotts.com
(937) 844-3864
