NTR vs SMG

For growth investors, Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the stronger pick with 5. 3% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -3. 9% for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (SMG). Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) offers the better valuation at 15. 6x trailing P/E (13. 0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) a "Buy" — based on 33 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the cheapest at 15. 6x versus The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company at 25. 4x. On forward P/E, Nutrien Ltd. is actually cheaper at 13. 0x.

Over the past 5 years, Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) delivered a total return of +41. 2%, compared to -68. 4% for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (SMG). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NTR returned +64. 0% versus SMG's +34. 9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the lower-risk stock at -0. 07β versus The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company's 1. 10β — meaning SMG is approximately -1618% more volatile than NTR relative to the S&P 500.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is pulling ahead at 5. 3% versus -3. 9% for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (SMG). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company grew EPS 504. 9% year-over-year, compared to 248. 5% for Nutrien Ltd.. Over a 3-year CAGR, SMG leads at -4. 5% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the more profitable company, earning 8. 4% net margin versus 4. 3% for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company — meaning it keeps 8. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NTR leads at 14. 5% versus 10. 5% for SMG. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NTR leads at 31. 0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) trades at 13. 0x forward P/E versus 14. 3x for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company — 1. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SMG: 14. 6% to $72. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (SMG) offers the highest yield at 4. 2%, versus 3. 0% for Nutrien Ltd. (NTR).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0. 07), 3. 0% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NTR: +64. 0%, SMG: +34. 9%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Basic Materials sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: NTR is a mid-cap deep-value stock; SMG is a small-cap income-oriented stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.