<ARTICLE> 5 <LEGEND> FINANCIAL DATA SCHEDULE FOR SODEXHO MARRIOTT SERVICES, INC. THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE COMPANY'S FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 3, 1999 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME AND THE CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS OF SEPTEMBER 3, 1999 FROM THE COMPANY'S FORM 10-K AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR OTHER YEAR <FISCAL-YEAR-END> SEP-03-1999 AUG-28-1998 JAN-02-1998 <PERIOD-START> AUG-29-1999 JAN-03-1998 JAN-04-1997 <PERIOD-END> SEP-03-1999 AUG-28-1998 JAN-02-1998 <CASH> 48 79 139 <SECURITIES> 0 10 9 <RECEIVABLES> 445 374 487 <ALLOWANCES> 21 17 12 <INVENTORY> 60 54 116 <CURRENT-ASSETS> 642 605 914 <PP&E> 257 249 763 <DEPRECIATION> 172 167 258 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,347 1,341 5,009 <CURRENT-LIABILITIES> 718 695 1,149 <BONDS> 1,010 1,091 1,829 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 0 0 <PREFERRED> 0 0 0 <COMMON> 62 62 32 <OTHER-SE> (556) (617) 1,431 <TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY> 1,347 1,341 5,009 <SALES> 4,502 2,828 5,026 <TOTAL-REVENUES> 4,502 2,828 5,026 <CGS> 4,198 2,709 4,847 <TOTAL-COSTS> 4,198 2,709 4,869 <OTHER-EXPENSES> 133 97 94 <LOSS-PROVISION> 0 0 0 <INTEREST-EXPENSE> 88 65 110 <INCOME-PRETAX> 92 (32) (15) <INCOME-TAX> 41 13 15 <INCOME-CONTINUING> 51 (19) 0 <DISCONTINUED> 0 77 335 <EXTRAORDINARY> 0 (44) 0 <CHANGES> 0 0 0 <NET-INCOME> 51 14 335 <EPS-BASIC> 0.82 0.27 10.53 <EPS-DILUTED> 0.81 0.27 10.53 <FN> On April 15, 1998, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the change of the fiscal year of the Company to the Friday nearest to August 31 of each year. Prior to this change in fiscal year, the Company's fiscal year ended on the Friday nearest to December 31 of each year. Thus, the 1998 fiscal year, which began on January 3, 1998, ended on August 28, 1998, and the 1999 fiscal year began on August 29, 1998 and ended on September 3, 1999 and was a 53-week period. </FN>