v3.26.1
DEBT
 9 Months Ended
Jun. 27, 2026
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
DEBT
NOTE 7. DEBT
The components of debt are as follows:
June 27,
2026		June 28,
2025		September 30,
2025
Credit Facilities:
Revolving loans$25.0 $— $— 
Term loans487.5 587.5 500.0 
Senior Notes due 2031 – 4.000%
500.0 500.0 500.0 
Senior Notes due 2032 – 4.375%
400.0 400.0 400.0 
Senior Notes due 2029 – 4.500%
450.0 450.0 450.0 
Senior Notes due 2026 – 5.250%
250.0 250.0 250.0 
Finance lease obligations13.1 15.1 14.5 
Other— — 5.2 
Total debt2,125.6 2,202.6 2,119.7 
Less current portions277.0 52.1 57.2 
Less unamortized debt issuance costs12.3 14.3 13.3 
Long-term debt$1,836.3 $2,136.2 $2,049.2 
Credit Facilities
On November 21, 2025, the Company entered into a Seventh Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Seventh A&R Credit Agreement”), providing the Company and certain of its subsidiaries with five-year senior secured loan facilities in the aggregate principal amount of $2,000.0, comprised of a revolving credit facility of $1,500.0 and a term loan in the original principal amount of $500.0. The Seventh A&R Credit Agreement also provides the Company with the right to seek additional committed credit under the agreement in an aggregate amount of up to $500.0 plus an unlimited additional amount, subject to certain specified financial and other conditions. The Seventh A&R Credit Agreement provides for the issuance of letters of credit up to $100.0 and will terminate on November 21, 2030. The terms of the Seventh A&R Credit Agreement include customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, financial covenants and events of default.
Borrowings under the Seventh A&R Credit Agreement bear interest at variable rates derived from the prevailing U.S. Prime Rate, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Rate, Secured Overnight Financing Rate, Euro Interbank Offered Rate, Canadian Prime Rate or Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average (all as defined in the Seventh A&R Credit Agreement), based on the Company’s election, plus a spread that depends on the Company’s quarterly-tested leverage ratio.
At June 27, 2026, the Company had letters of credit outstanding in the aggregate principal amount of $93.2, and had $1,381.8 of borrowing availability under the Seventh A&R Credit Agreement. The weighted average interest rates on average borrowings under the credit facilities, excluding the impact of interest rate swaps, were 6.4% and 7.7% for the nine months ended June 27, 2026 and June 28, 2025, respectively.
The Seventh A&R Credit Agreement contains, among other obligations, an affirmative covenant regarding the Company’s leverage ratio determined as of the end of each of its fiscal quarters, calculated as average total indebtedness divided by the Company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, as adjusted pursuant to the terms of the Seventh A&R Credit Agreement (“Adjusted EBITDA”). The maximum permitted leverage ratio is 5.00. The Company’s leverage ratio was 3.78 at June 27, 2026. The Seventh A&R Credit Agreement also contains an affirmative covenant regarding the Company’s interest coverage ratio determined as of the end of each of its fiscal quarters, calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by interest expense, as described in the Seventh A&R Credit Agreement. The minimum required interest coverage ratio is (i) 3.00 for each of the fiscal quarters within fiscal 2026, (ii) 3.25 for each of the fiscal quarters within fiscal 2027 and (iii) 3.50 for fiscal quarters thereafter. The Company’s interest coverage ratio was 5.67 at June 27, 2026.
The Seventh A&R Credit Agreement allows the Company to make unlimited restricted payments (as defined in the Seventh A&R Credit Agreement), including dividend payments on, and repurchases of, Common Shares, as long as the leverage ratio resulting from the making of such restricted payments is 4.00 or less. Otherwise, the Company is limited to restricted payments in an aggregate amount for each fiscal year not to exceed $225.0.
Senior Notes
On December 15, 2016, Scotts Miracle-Gro issued $250.0 aggregate principal amount of 5.250% Senior Notes with a maturity date of December 15, 2026 (the “5.250% Senior Notes”). The 5.250% Senior Notes represent general unsecured senior obligations and rank equal in right of payment with the Company’s existing and future unsecured senior debt. The 5.250% Senior Notes have interest payment dates of June 15 and December 15 of each year. At June 27, 2026, the $250.0 aggregate principal amount of the 5.250% Senior Notes is classified in the “Current portion of debt” line in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as it is payable within one year.
On October 22, 2019, Scotts Miracle-Gro issued $450.0 aggregate principal amount of 4.500% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “4.500% Senior Notes”). The 4.500% Senior Notes represent general unsecured senior obligations and rank equal in right of payment with the Company’s existing and future unsecured senior debt. The 4.500% Senior Notes have interest payment dates of April 15 and October 15 of each year.
On March 17, 2021, Scotts Miracle-Gro issued $500.0 aggregate principal amount of 4.000% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “4.000% Senior Notes”). The 4.000% Senior Notes represent general unsecured senior obligations and rank equal in right of payment with the Company’s existing and future unsecured senior debt. The 4.000% Senior Notes have interest payment dates of April 1 and October 1 of each year.
On August 13, 2021, Scotts Miracle-Gro issued $400.0 aggregate principal amount of 4.375% Senior Notes due 2032 (the “4.375% Senior Notes”). The 4.375% Senior Notes represent general unsecured senior obligations and rank equal in right of payment with the Company’s existing and future unsecured senior debt. The 4.375% Senior Notes have interest payment dates of February 1 and August 1 of each year.
Substantially all of Scotts Miracle-Gro’s directly and indirectly owned domestic subsidiaries serve as guarantors of the 5.250% Senior Notes, the 4.500% Senior Notes, the 4.000% Senior Notes and the 4.375% Senior Notes (collectively, the “Senior Notes”).
Interest Rate Swap Agreements
The Company enters into interest rate swap agreements with major financial institutions that effectively convert a portion of the Company’s variable-rate debt to a fixed rate. Interest payments made between the effective date and expiration date are hedged by the swap agreements. Swap agreements that were hedging interest payments as of June 27, 2026, June 28, 2025 and September 30, 2025 had a maximum total U.S. dollar equivalent notional amount of $450.0. The notional amount, effective date, expiration date and rate of each of the swap agreements outstanding at June 27, 2026 are shown in the table below:
Notional
Amount ($)		Effective
Date (a)		Expiration
Date		Fixed
Rate
150 6/7/20234/7/20273.37 %
50 6/7/20234/7/20273.34 %
100 
(b)
11/20/20233/22/20274.74 %
150 
(b)
9/20/20249/20/20294.25 %
100 4/8/20274/8/20303.40 %
(a)The effective date refers to the date on which interest payments are first hedged by the applicable swap agreement.
(b)Notional amount adjusts in accordance with a specified seasonal schedule. This represents the maximum notional amount at any point in time.
Weighted Average Interest Rate
The weighted average interest rates on the Company’s debt, including the impact of interest rate swaps, were 4.9% and 5.4% for the nine months ended June 27, 2026 and June 28, 2025, respectively.