Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this press release or in our earnings call for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 that look forward in time or that express management’s beliefs, expectations or hopes are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the views of management at the time such statements are made and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, estimates, and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These statements include statements concerning: the effect, impact, potential duration or other implications of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic and any expectations we may have with respect thereto, including the extent and duration of lockdowns in the U.S. and Europe; our expectations regarding the pace and timing of the business recovery; our belief in Sysco’s ability to take market share, and our expectations regarding future market share gains in fiscal 2022 and 2024; our expectations regarding the continuation of an inflationary environment and our strategies to combat the short- and medium-term impacts of inflation; our expectations regarding improvements in the travel, hospitality and foodservice management sectors of our business; our expectations regarding the positive impact that increased sales and disciplined expense management will have on our international results; our expectations that we will benefit significantly in fiscal 2022 from improving international financials; our expectations regarding the installation of our new pricing systems nationally by the end of calendar year 2021; statements relating to our ability to accelerate profitable growth; our expectations regarding the timing of the closing of the Greco and Sons acquisition and the impact of the acquisition on our business; our expectations regarding our ability to grow faster than the total market in fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2024; our plans and expectations regarding the Sysco Driver Academy; statements regarding our savings goals from fiscal 2023 through fiscal 2024; the effects of our continuing investments in digital technology; our ability to deliver against our strategic priorities; statements regarding economic trends in the United States and abroad; our plans to reduce indebtedness by the end of fiscal 2022, including the repayment of notes in fiscal 2022; our commitments to further reduce debt in fiscal 2022; our expectations regarding our ability to hit our leverage target; our expectations regarding our dividend payments in calendar year 2022; statements regarding cost-out programs and benefits associated with our growth initiatives in both fiscal 2023 and 2024, including rates of growth and share gains; our expectations regarding gross profits and sales in fiscal 2022; our expectations regarding the effects of our cost savings, including effects on profit growth; the pace of implementation of our business transformation initiatives; our expectations regarding the ability of our transformational initiatives to drive future value; our expectations regarding our overall effective tax rate in fiscal 2022; our expectations regarding our earnings per share and adjusted earnings per share in fiscal 2022; our expectations regarding capital expenditures and our net debt to EBITDA target; our plans to maintain a strong balance sheet; our expectations that we will have more than adequate capital for our planned investments; our expectations regarding our share repurchase program; our expectations regarding the return of capital to shareholders in fiscal 2022; our expectations regarding cash from operations; our commitments to responsible growth and efficiency improvements; our projections regarding lower restrictions and improving sales in fiscal 2022; our projections regarding higher sales, gross profits, and operating income as markets reopen following the COVID-19 crisis; statements concerning our focus on private brand sales in fiscal 2022; our commitments to add new leadership in international markets and enhanced strategies to boost performance in fiscal 2022; statements relating to the impact of acquisition-related intangible amortization and associated expenses; statements relating to management’s usage of free cash flow; our expectations that the reimposition of additional COVID-19 restrictions would not have as severe an impact on our business as in the prior year; our expectations regarding the impact of the Delta variant on demand; our statements concerning temporary wage actions in the upcoming business recovery period; and statements concerning our implementation of cost-out programs to fund the snap-back and our growth agenda.
The success of our plans and expectations regarding our operating performance are subject to the general risks associated with our business, including the risks of interruption of supplies due to lack of long-term contracts, severe weather, crop conditions, work stoppages, intense competition, technology disruptions, dependence on large, long-term regional and national customers, inflation risks, the impact of fuel prices, adverse publicity, labor issues, political or financial instability, trade restrictions, tariffs, currency exchange rates, transport capacity and costs and other factors relating to foreign trade, any or all of which could delay our receipt of product or increase our input costs. Risks and uncertainties also include the impact and effects of public health crises, pandemics and epidemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and the adverse impact thereof on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including, but not limited to, our growth, product costs, supply chain, labor availability, logistical capabilities, customer demand for our products and industry demand generally, consumer spending, our liquidity, the price of our securities and trading markets with respect thereto, our credit ratings, our ability to maintain compliance with the covenants in our credit agreement, our ability to access capital markets, and the global economy and financial markets generally. Risks and uncertainties also include risks impacting the economy generally, including the risks that the current general economic conditions will deteriorate, or consumer confidence in the economy or consumer spending, particularly on food-away-from-home, may decline. Market conditions may not improve. Competition and the impact of GPOs may reduce our margins and make it difficult for us to maintain our market share, growth rate and profitability. We may not be able to fully compensate for increases in fuel costs, and fuel hedging arrangements intended to contain fuel costs could result in above market fuel costs. Our ability to meet our long-term strategic objectives depends on our ability to grow gross profit, leverage our supply chain costs and reduce administrative costs. This will depend largely on the success of our various business initiatives, including efforts related to revenue management, expense management, our digital e-commerce strategy and any efforts related to restructuring or the reduction of administrative costs. There are various risks related to these efforts, including the risk that if sales from our locally managed customers do not grow at the same rate as sales from regional and national customers, or if we are unable to continue to accelerate local case growth, our gross margins may decline; the risk that we are unlikely to be able to predict inflation over the long term, and lower inflation is likely to produce lower gross profit; the risk that our efforts to mitigate increases in warehouse costs may be unsuccessful; the risk that we may not be able to accelerate and/or identify additional administrative cost savings in order to compensate for any gross profit or supply chain cost leverage challenges; the risk that these efforts may not provide the expected benefits in our anticipated time frame, if at all, and may prove costlier than expected; the risk that the actual costs of any initiatives may be greater or less than currently expected; and the risk of adverse effects to our business, results of operations and liquidity if past and future undertakings, and the associated changes to our business, do not prove to be cost effective or do not result in the cost savings and other benefits at the levels that we anticipate. Our plans related to and the timing of any initiatives are subject to change at any time based on management’s subjective evaluation of our overall business needs. If we are unable to realize the anticipated benefits from our efforts, we could become cost disadvantaged in the marketplace, and our competitiveness and our profitability could decrease. Adverse publicity about us or lack of confidence in our products could negatively impact our reputation and reduce earnings. Capital expenditures may vary based on changes in business plans and other factors, including risks related to the implementation of various initiatives, the timing and successful completion of acquisitions, construction schedules and the possibility that other cash requirements could result in delays or cancellations of capital spending. Periods of significant or prolonged inflation or deflation, either overall or in certain product categories, can have a negative impact on us and our customers, as high food costs can reduce consumer spending in the food-away-from-home market, and may negatively impact our sales, gross profit, operating income and earnings, and periods of deflation can be difficult to manage effectively. Fluctuations in inflation and deflation, as well as fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies, are beyond our control and subject to broader market forces. Expanding into international markets presents unique challenges and risks, including compliance with local laws, regulations and customs and the impact of local political and economic conditions, including the impact of Brexit and the “yellow vest” protests in France against a fuel tax increase, pension reform and the French government, and such expansion efforts may not be successful. Any business that we acquire may not perform as expected, and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions. Expectations regarding the financial statement impact of any acquisitions may change based on management’s subjective evaluation. A divestiture of one or more of our businesses may not provide the anticipated effects on our operations. Meeting our dividend target objectives depends on our level of earnings, available cash and the success of our various strategic initiatives. Changes in applicable tax laws or regulations and the resolution of tax disputes could negatively affect our financial results. We rely on technology in our business and any cybersecurity incident, other technology disruption or delay in implementing new technology could negatively affect our business and our relationships with customers. For a discussion of additional factors impacting Sysco’s business, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 27, 2020, as filed with the SEC, and our subsequent filings with the SEC. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law.