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Marysville, Ohio-based Scotts Miracle-Gro has released a financial update for fiscal 2012 to “reflect the pressures driven by lower-than-expected sales and unfavorable product mix,” according to a company press release.

Consumer purchases of its products at its largest retail partners in the United States are up 3% on a year-to-date basis, compared with 8% entering May. The company expects to fall short of its previous guidance of 6% to 8% sales growth and adjusted earnings of $2.65 to $2.85 per share. 

Consumer research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group shows some positive movement in consumer sentiment in January, but concerns linger.

The January figure for the NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator rose to 40.0 on a scale of 0 -- "very concerned" -- to 100 -- "very confident." The figure is an improvement upon 37.4 recorded in December, but it is below the year-ago figure of 41.4:

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose two points to 21 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for December. This marks the third consecutive month in which builder confidence has improved, and brings the index to its highest point since May 2010. 

A report from Global Hunter Securities describes the new-home market as "finally forming a bottom."

Based on the number of new homes available for sale, the months required to sell them and the total new homes for sale, there's some good news, according to Global Hunter Securities: "We believe the new-home market is finally forming a bottom."

The Conference Board reported Tuesday morning that its Consumer Confidence Index increased to 56.0 in November, up from 40.9 in October.

That's not the only metric improving. The Expectations Index rose to 67.8 from 50.0, and the Present Situation Index increased to 38.3 from 27.1. 

It's certainly not partying like 1985 -- when the Index was set at 100. But it's an improvement welcomed by Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. 

There were no mixed signals this time from the NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator. October was down from the previous month, and down ever more from the previous year.

Consumer research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group showed that consumers are increasingly concerned about the economy. The October 2011 NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator, a measure of consumer confidence, decreased slightly to an index reading of 35.9, on a scale of 0 -- "very concerned" -- to 100 -- "very confident."

Consumer research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group shows a sharp rise in concern over the economy in August.

The August 2011 NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator, a measure of consumer confidence, is down slightly to an index reading of 35.1 on a scale of 0 -- "very concerned" -- to 100 -- "very confident."

The August reading is down from 39.6 in July. A year ago, the perception indicator index was at 40.3.  

After an uptick in July, the Consumer Confidence Index issued by The Conference Board fell to 44.5, down from a downwardly revised 59.2 reading in July. 

The August figure is the lowest since April 2009 when the index was 40.8.

The one-two punch of bad weather and a weak economy took its toll on Boucherville, Quebec-based RONA's second-quarter performance. 

Canada's largest distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products posted second-quarter sales of C$34.2 million, down 2.4%. Same-store sales declined 9.6%. Net income amounted to C$39.5 million, down from C$66.3 million in the second quarter of 2010.

Louisiana-Pacific Corp., the Nashville, Tenn., wood products producer, reported sales of $362.4 million for its second fiscal quarter, a 19% drop from sales of $447.5 million during the same quarter last year. Net loss from continuing operations for the quarter, which ended June 30, was $33 million, compared with a net gain of $23.6 million a year ago.

Chicago -- Ace Hardware Corp. CEO Ray Griffith pointed to some positive metrics that should give encouragement to hardware retailers in 2011.

Speaking during the opening general session during the Ace Convention & Exhibits here in Chicago, he said across Ace, same-store sales at retail in the month of February were up an impressive 5.8% over last year. Transactions increased "an equally impressive" 3.6%, he said. 

"We have not seen that kind of increase in over 47 months -- not since February 2007," he said.