Scotts Miracle-gro Co (SMG) · Nov 4, 2026 · Earnings
Beat — FY26 adjusted EPS $4.48 vs $4.30-$4.45 guidance
Scotts Miracle-Gro earnings beat its FY2026 EPS guidance, with margin expansion and cash flow improving despite a weak fourth-quarter sales finish.
Scotts Miracle-Gro is now a more focused North American consumer lawn-and-garden company after exiting Hawthorne, while pursuing its “SMG 2.0” strategy around branded products, channel expansion, innovation and cost savings. The prior setup already called for low-single-digit sales growth, at least 32% adjusted gross margin, $275 million of free cash flow and leverage in the high 3s, so this filing is mainly an execution test rather than a new strategic reveal.
The year finished above the company’s earnings bar. Adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations reached $4.48, above the recently raised $4.30-$4.45 range, while free cash flow reached $278.4 million versus the $275 million target. The filing says the company “delivered adjusted earnings per share above its guidance.”
| Metric | FY26 | FY25 | Prior guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales (Financial Highlights) | $3,288.9M (1%) | $3,255.8M | Low-single-digit growth |
| Adjusted diluted EPS (Financial Highlights) | $4.48 (18%) | $3.80 | $4.30-$4.45 |
| Adjusted gross margin (Financial Highlights) | 32.4% | 31.6% | At least 32% |
| Adjusted EBITDA (Financial Highlights) | $579.9M (2%) | $569.7M | Mid-single-digit growth |
| Free cash flow (Free Cash Flow) | $278.4M | $273.9M | $275M |
| Cash and equivalents (Balance Sheet) | $7.4M | $32.8M |
Margins, not sales growth, carried the result. Full-year revenue rose only 1%, but adjusted gross margin expanded to 32.4% from 31.6%, helped by supply-chain savings, pricing and a richer branded-product mix. The company specifically says those benefits were “partially offset by higher commodity and freight costs.” 〔0〕
The quarterly finish was materially weaker than the annual headline. Fourth-quarter sales fell 11% to $302.9 million, U.S. Consumer sales fell 10%, and adjusted EBITDA declined 24% to a $106.7 million loss. That seasonally soft quarter does not overturn the full-year result, but it shows that the operating recovery remains dependent on margin discipline rather than broad-based top-line acceleration.
The balance sheet improved modestly, not decisively. Total debt declined to roughly $2.03 billion from $2.11 billion, and the company met its leverage objective, but cash fell to $7.4 million and equity remained negative at $(372.4) million. The Hawthorne exit also came with a $106.2 million pretax loss in fiscal 2026, so the cleaner business profile was achieved with a sizable one-time economic cost.
The next transformation adds execution risk even as it may support efficiency. Scotts began a multiyear IT overhaul, including replacing its ERP system, expects to spend more than $100 million, and targets substantial completion in fiscal 2028. It recorded $13.5 million of related costs in fiscal 2026, which management excludes from adjusted results.
Bottom line: This is a modest execution beat, not a rewrite of the story: Scotts exceeded its FY2026 EPS and cash-flow targets and expanded margins, but the weak fourth quarter and still-heavy balance sheet leave the SMG 2.0 growth case unfinished.
Fiscal 2027 plan and IT rollout through FY2028
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