Sysco Reports Strong Local Case and Operating Income Growth and Delivers Diluted EPS of $0.48

HOUSTON, Feb. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY) today announced financial results for its 13-week second fiscal quarter ended December 26, 2015.¹

Second Quarter Fiscal 2016 Highlights²

• Sales increased 0.6% to $12.2 billion;
• Gross profit increased 3.4% to $2.2 billion; gross margin increased 50 basis points to 17.75%;
• Adjusted operating income increased 10.2% to $437 million; and
• Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS), including a one-time $0.03 benefit from resolving certain tax contingencies, increased $0.07 to $0.48.
  
  

First Half Fiscal 2016 Highlights²

• Sales increased 0.8% to $24.7 billion;
• Gross profit increased 2.8% to $4.4 billion; gross margin increased 36 basis points to 17.78%;
• Adjusted operating income increased 4.2% to $943 million; and
• Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS), including a one-time $0.03 benefit from resolving certain tax contingencies, increased $0.07 to $1.00.
  
  

“I am very pleased with our second quarter results,” said Bill DeLaney, Sysco chief executive officer. “We achieved strong local case growth, while managing gross margins well and also containing operating expense growth.  Through the first six-months of the year, we are on-track to achieve our financial objectives for the first year of our three-year plan.”

¹Financial comparisons presented in this release are compared to the same period in the prior year. Earnings Per Share (EPS) and Adjusted EPS are shown on a diluted basis unless otherwise specified. Adjusted financial results exclude certain items, which primarily include restructuring and merger-related costs. A reconciliation of non-GAAP measures is included in this release.

²On a GAAP basis, operating income was $433 million for the second quarter, an increase of 37.1% from the prior year, and $926 million for the first half, an increase of 18.6% from the prior year.  Diluted EPS was $0.48 for the second quarter, an increase of 77.8% from the prior year, and $0.88 for the first half, an increase of 21% from the prior year.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2016 Summary

Sales for the second quarter were $12.2 billion, an increase of 0.6% compared to the same period last year. Overall food cost deflation was 1.2% (1.9% in U.S. Broadline), as measured by the estimated change in Sysco's product costs, with deflation in the meat, poultry, dairy and seafood categories partially offset by modest inflation in other categories. In addition, sales from acquisitions completed within the last 12 months increased sales by 0.4%, and the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates decreased sales by 1.7%. Case volume for the Company’s U.S. Broadline operations grew 3.9% during the quarter.  Local case growth within U.S. Broadline operations grew 3.0%. Gross profit was $2.2 billion, an increase of 3.4% compared to the same period last year. Gross margin increased 50 basis points to 17.75%.

Non-GAAP Operating Income, Net Earnings and EPS

Adjusted operating expenses increased $31 million, or 1.8%, compared to the same period last year, due mainly to higher case volume-related expenses and planned business technology investments. Adjusted operating income was $437 million, an increase of $41 million, or 10.2%, compared to the same period last year. Interest expense was $47 million, an increase of $22 million compared to the same period last year, reflecting the increased debt used primarily to fund the Company’s accelerated share repurchase program. Adjusted net earnings, which include a $21 million or $0.03 per share tax benefit related to the favorable resolution of certain tax contingencies, were $275 million, an increase of $31 million, or 12.6%, compared to the same period last year. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.48, which was 17.1% higher compared to the same period last year.

GAAP Operating Income, Net Earnings and EPS

Operating expenses decreased $45 million, or 2.6%, compared to the same period last year, due mainly to a lower merger-related expenses, partially offset by higher case volume-related expenses and planned business technology investments. Operating income was $433 million, an increase of $117 million, or 37.1%, compared to the same period last year. Interest expense was $47 million, a decrease of $30 million compared to the same period last year. Net earnings were $272 million, an increase of $114 million, or 72.4%, compared to the same period last year. Diluted EPS was $0.48, which was 77.8% higher compared to the same period last year.

First Half Fiscal 2016 Summary

Sales for the first half of fiscal 2016 were $24.7 billion, an increase of 0.8% compared to the same period last year. Overall food cost deflation was 0.7% (1.5% in U.S. Broadline), as measured by the estimated change in Sysco's product costs, with deflation in the meat, poultry, dairy and seafood categories partially offset by modest inflation in other categories. In addition, sales from acquisitions completed within the last 12 months increased sales by 0.4%, and the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates decreased sales by 1.8%. Case volume for the company’s U.S. Broadline operations grew 3.6% during the first half. Local case growth within U.S. Broadline operations grew 2.5%. Gross profit was $4.4 billion, an increase of 2.8% compared to the same period last year. Gross margin increased 36 basis points to 17.78%.

Non-GAAP Operating Income, Net Earnings and EPS

Adjusted operating expenses increased $83 million, or 2.5%, compared to the same period last year, due mainly to higher case volume-related expenses, planned business technology investments and incentive accruals. Adjusted operating income was $943 million, an increase of $38 million, or 4.2%, compared to the same period last year. Adjusted interest expense was $79 million, an increase of $27 million compared to the same period last year, reflecting the increased debt used primarily to fund the Company’s accelerated share repurchase program. Adjusted net earnings were $587 million, an increase of $33 million, or 6.1%, compared to the same period last year. Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.00, which was 7.5% higher compared to the same period last year.

GAAP Operating Income, Net Earnings and EPS

Operating expenses decreased $24 million, or 0.7%, compared to the same period last year, due mainly to lower merger-related expenses, partially offset partially offset by higher case volume-related expenses, planned business technology investments and incentive accruals. Operating income was $926 million, an increase of $145 million, or 18.6%, compared to the same period last year. Interest expense was $174 million, an increase of $66 million compared to the same period last year. Net earnings were $517 million, an increase of $80 million, or 18.3%, compared to the same period last year. Diluted EPS was $0.88, which was 20.5% higher compared to the same period last year.

Capital Spending and Cash Flow

Capital expenditures, net of proceeds from sales of plant and equipment, totaled $237 million for the first half of fiscal 2016. Cash flow from operations was $469 million for the first half of fiscal 2016, which was $16 million higher compared to the same period last year. Free cash flow was $231 million, which was $75 million higher compared to the same period last year.

Conference Call & Webcast

Sysco’s second quarter fiscal 2016 earnings conference call will be held on Monday, February 1, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.  A live webcast of the call, a copy of this press release and a slide presentation will be available online at investors.sysco.com.

For purposes of public disclosure, Sysco plans to use the investor relations portion of its website as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. As a result, a live webcast of the call, a copy of this press release and a slide presentation, will be available online at investors.sysco.com. We encourage investors to consult that section of our website, or our investor relations app, regularly for important information about us.

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. The company operates 194 distribution facilities serving approximately 425,000 customers. For fiscal year 2015 that ended June 27, 2015, the company generated sales of more than $48 billion. For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoCorporation or Twitter at https://twitter.com/Sysco.  For important news regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company's Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, follow us at www.twitter.com/SyscoStock and download the new Sysco IR App, available on the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Market. In addition, investors should also continue to review our press releases and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release or in our earnings call for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 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 our plans and expectations related to our three-year financial objectives, including targets for adjusted operating income and adjusted ROIC, and the key levers for realizing these goals, expectations regarding revenue management, expense management and our digital e-commerce strategy, expectations regarding food cost deflation and currency translation, expectations regarding restructuring charges, expectations regarding tax rates, and expectations regarding capital expenditures. The success of our plans and expectations regarding our operating performance, including expectations regarding our three-year financial objectives, 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 regional and national customers, inflation risks, the impact of fuel prices, adverse publicity, and labor issues. 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. If sales from our locally managed customers do not grow at the same rate as sales from regional and national customers, our gross margins may decline. Our ability to meet our long-term strategic objectives depends 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. There are various risks related to these efforts, including 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. 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 high inflation, 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, 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 accounting treatment of any acquisitions may change based on management’s subjective evaluation. Expectations regarding share repurchases are subject to various factors beyond management’s control, including fluctuations in the stock market, and decisions regarding share repurchases are subject to change based on management’s subjective evaluation of the Company’s needs. Expectations regarding tax rates are also subject to various factors beyond management’s control.  For a discussion of additional factors impacting Sysco’s business, see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 27, 2015, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC. Sysco does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. 

For more information contact:
Neil Russell			  
Vice President, Investor Relations	  
T 281-584-1308			  

Charley Wilson			
Vice President, Corporate Communications
T 281-584-2423