The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company SMG posted net loss from continuing operations of $55.5 million or 99 cents per share in fourth-quarter fiscal 2019 (ended Sep 30, 2019), narrower than loss of $130.6 million or $2.36 per share in the year-ago quarter.Barring one-time items, adjusted loss per share was 91 cents, wider than loss of 75 cents a year ago. The figure was also wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of loss of 87 cents per share.Net sales rose around 15% year over year to $497.7 million. The figure surpassed the consensus mark of $451 million.Company-wide gross margin rate rose to 18% from 17% in the year-ago quarter.Fiscal 2019 ResultsAdjusted net income for fiscal 2019 rose roughly 19% year over year to $251.8 million or $4.47 per share, while net sales rose roughly 18% to $3,156 million.The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company QuoteSegment DetailsIn the fiscal fourth quarter, net sales in the U.S. Consumer division rose roughly 4% year over year to $261.6 million. The segment generated loss of $20.7 million against net profit of $5.3 million in the year-ago quarter.Net sales in the Hawthorne segment rose nearly 38% to $210 million in the quarter, which was primarily driven by strong demand across the United States. The segment’s profit grew to $21.9 million from $0.5 million a year ago.Net sales in the Other segment fell 10% to $26.1 million. The segment generated loss of $2.6 million against net profit of $0.7 million in the year-ago quarter.Balance SheetAt the end of fiscal 2019, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $18.8 million, down 44.5% year over year. Long-term debt was $1,523.5 million, down 19.2%.OutlookScotts Miracle-Gro expects company-wide sales growth of 4-6% for fiscal 2020. Moreover, the company anticipates Hawthorne’s sales to grow 12-15% and U.S. Consumer sales to rise 1-3%.It expects adjusted earnings per share of $4.95-$5.15 for fiscal 2020.Free cash flow is expected to be $300 million.Price PerformanceShares of the company have rallied 32.6% in the past year against the industry’s 21.6% decline. Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to ConsiderScotts Miracle-Gro currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Other top-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Kinross Gold Corporation KGC, Franco-Nevada Corporation FNV and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited AEM, each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Kinross has an expected earnings growth rate of 210% for 2019. The company’s shares have surged 80.9% in the past year.Franco-Nevada has a projected earnings growth rate of 39.3% for 2019. The company’s shares have rallied 48.2% in a year.Agnico Eagle has an estimated earnings growth rate of 168.6% for the current year. Its shares have moved up 67.6% in the past year.Wall Street’s Next AmazonZacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius. Click for details >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV): Free Stock Analysis Report Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (AEM): Free Stock Analysis Report Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC): Free Stock Analysis Report The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (SMG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research