Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information included in this exhibit is forward-looking, including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involves risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements cover all matters which are not historical facts and include, without limitation, statements or guidance regarding or relating to our future financial position, results of operations and growth, the Profit Forecast, the Merger, the benefits of the Merger, our ability to manage the risks relating to the Merger, plans and objectives for the future including our capabilities and priorities, risks associated with changes in global and regional economic, market and political conditions, ability to manage supply chain challenges, ability to manage the impact of product price fluctuations, our financial condition and liquidity, legal or regulatory changes and other statements concerning the success of our business and strategies. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology , including terms such as “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “guidance,” “intends,” “continues,” “plans,” “projects,” “goal,” “target,” “aim,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could” or “should” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology and other similar references to future periods. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. They are not assurances of future performance and are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the forward-looking statements contained in this exhibit are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: any changes in the underlying assumptions of the Profit Forecast, the Merger may be delayed, cancelled, suspended or terminated; unexpected costs for us and any unanticipated or other adverse consequences to us or our shareholders relating to the Merger; the conditions to the completion of the Merger, including shareholder approval, may not be satisfied; the benefits of the Merger may not be realized; weakness in the economy, market trends, uncertainty and other conditions in the markets in which we operate, and other factors beyond our control, including disruption in the financial markets and any macroeconomic or other consequences of political unrest, disputes or war; failure to rapidly identify or effectively respond to direct and/or end customers’ wants, expectations or trends, including costs and potential problems associated with new or upgraded information technology systems or our ability to timely deploy new omni-channel capabilities; decreased demand for our products as a result of operating in highly competitive industries and the impact of declines in the residential and non-residential markets, as well as the repair, maintenance and improvement (“RMI”) and new construction markets; changes in competition, including as a result of market consolidation or competitors responding more quickly to emerging technologies (such as generative artificial intelligence (“AI”)); failure of a key information technology system or process as well as exposure to fraud or theft resulting from payment-related risks; privacy and protection of sensitive data failures, including failures due to data corruption, cybersecurity incidents or network security breaches; ineffectiveness of or disruption in our domestic or international supply chain or our fulfillment network, including delays in inventory availability at our distribution facilities and branches, increased delivery costs or lack of
5