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Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG) Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates, Sales Top

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The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (SMG - Free Report) reported net income from continuing operations of $4.2 million or 7 cents per share in fourth-quarter fiscal 2020 (ended Sep 30, 2020) against a net loss of $55.5 million or 99 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.

Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were 6 cents, up 106.6% year over year. However, the figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 7 cents.

Net sales surged 78.9% year over year to $890.3 million and beat the consensus mark of $884.6 million.

Company-wide gross margin rate (as adjusted) was 24.3% compared with 18.5% in the year-ago quarter.

FY20 Results

Adjusted earnings for fiscal 2020 surged 62% year over year to $7.24 per share, while net sales increased 31% to $4,131.6 million.

Segment Details

In the fiscal fourth quarter, net sales in the U.S. Consumer division increased 90% year over year to $497.2 million. The segment reported profits of $44.1 million against a net loss of $20.7 million in the prior-year quarter.  

Net sales in the Hawthorne segment rose 68% year over year to $351.9 million in the reported quarter. The segment’s profits surged 81% year over year to $39.6 million.

Per the company, growth in the U.S. Consumer and Hawthorne segments was witnessed across all product categories, geographies and retail channels.

Net sales in the Other segment increased 58% year over year to $41.2 million. The segment reported a net loss of $3.2 million in the quarter compared with $2.6 million in the prior-year quarter.

Balance Sheet

At the end of fiscal 2020, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $16.6 million, down 11.7% year over year. Long-term debt was $1,455.1 million, down 4.5% year over year.

Outlook

In the U.S. Consumer unit, the company projects sales to be flat-to-down 5% for fiscal 2021. It expects sales in the Hawthorne segment to rise 15-20% in fiscal 2021.

Based on these assumptions, the company projects adjusted earnings per share between $8 and $8.40. Free cash flow is expected to be around $325 million.

The company expects results for the U.S Consumer and Hawthorne segments in the first half of fiscal 2021 to trend above its full-year view, which is expected to be partly offset by a challenging second half of the year.

Price Performance

Shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro have rallied 57.1% in the past year against the industry’s 10.5% decline.

Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks

Scotts Miracle-Gro currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Some other top-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (AEM - Free Report) , Barrick Gold Corporation (GOLD - Free Report) and B2Gold Corp (BTG - Free Report) . While Agnico Eagle sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Barrick and B2Gold carry a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Agnico Eagle has an expected earnings growth rate of 100% for 2020. Its shares have returned 34.1% in the past year.

Barrick has an expected earnings growth rate of 100% for 2020. The company’s shares have surged 62.9% in the past year.

B2Gold has an expected earnings growth rate of 250% for 2020. The company’s shares have gained 77.1% in the past year.

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