Sysco (SYY)

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See all Bulls Reasons Bulls: Reasons To Buy Sysco Is Gaining Market Share 100% agree Sysco Is Gaining Market Share Sysco has a 15% market share in food distribution. Two of its biggest competitors recently were acquired and have been closing plants. U.S. Foodservice has about an 8% share and is currently owned by private equity firms Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts... read more View or Edit Reason 2 votes 100% agree See all Bears Reasons Bears: Reasons To Sell Diesel Prices Hedged at Over $120 Lowers Profit 100% agree Diesel Prices Hedged at Over $120 Lowers Profit The high gasoline cost has struck the core of Sysco's business and has been largely responsible for bringing the stock price down. Although oil prices have fallen, Sysco hedged 60% of its 2009 fuel needs in late July and August, when oil was still above $120. Sysco will not fully... read more View or Edit Reason 2 votes 100% agree Send the authors a comment or suggestion Be the first to make a suggestion See All Suggestions

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Though transportation businesses are highly susceptible to changes in oil prices, Sysco shielded itself from increases from diesel fuel prices in 2007 by locking in $44.5 million in diesel fuel commitments through the end of that year. ^[6] In July and August 2008, the company locked in 60% of its fuel needs for 2009 at record high prices.^[7] Because of this, Sysco will not fully benefit from the fall in oil prices until 2010. However, the company estimates that it will be able to recover 50% of the total increase in fuel prices in 2009 through fuel surcharges.^[7]

[edit] Company Overview

[edit] Business Financials

SYY Revenue and Net Income^[8]

SYY Sales by Customer Type^[5]

Sysco Corp. provides food related services to both traditional customers (schools, private restaurants and institutions) and chain restaurants. Sysco's customers are well diversified as restaurants make up only 63% of total sales.^[5] According to industry sources, roughly 50% of all consumer food expenditures are spent on meals-away-from home. Even during an economic downturn, Sysco still has a significant number of educational, healthcare, hospitality, and other customers whose orders are more stable.

Revenue in fiscal 2008 rose 7.1% to $37.5 billion from $35 billion in 2007; net earnings were $1.11 billion, a 10.5% increase from $1 billion in 2007.^[8] The increase in revenue was mostly due to increases in selling prices as the result of food inflation while total volume of sales remained constant.^[9] Although gross margin only rose by 6.5% in 2007, operating expenses rose by a smaller 5.3%, causing operating income to increase. This relatively smaller increase in operating expenses reflects Sysco's increased efficiency in fleet routes and fuel economy.^[7]

Sysco is the largest food distributor in North America with approximately 16% of the $231 billion annual US and Canada food service market.^[10] Sysco distributes a variety of products including both brand name merchandise and products branded with the company's own trademark. ^[11]

Sysco is focused on improving its operational efficiency through three supply chain improvement initiatives. The first involves the construction of five to seven regional redistribution centers that will optimize regional distribution by acting as a central warehouse for Sysco's suppliers and eliminating the need for suppliers to transport inventory to each individual Sysco warehouse. The company's second redistribution center became operational in April 2008^[12] and the company will evaluate the location of the remaining redistribution centers in the future.^[10] Sysco's national transportation management initiative will introduce a new system which will allow managers to view inbound freight as a network and not as individual shipments which will allow the company to consolidate inbound shipments. The company implemented the initiative in fiscal 2008 and will continue to improve upon it in fiscal 2009.^[10] The final initiative is the national implementation of demand planning and inventory management software. The company introduced this software in several regions in fiscal 2008 and will expand its use to more regions in fiscal 2009.^[10]

[edit] Operating Segments

• Broadline (79.4% of revenue, 103.1% of operating income)^[13]: The Broadline segment distributes a full line of food products and a wide variety of non-food products to both traditional and small chain restaurant customers.^[13] This segment has higher profit margins than the rest of Sysco's operations as the result of better purchasing power, greater amount of capital expenditures, and a larger sales force. In fiscal 2008, the Broadline segment posted $1.85 billion in operating income on revenues of $29.8 billion.^[8] Since central corporate expenses are reported separately, Broadline's operating income was actually greater than total operating income.
• SYGMA (12.2% of revenue, 0.4% of operating income)^[13]: Sygma has the lowest margins of Sysco's operating segments because the fast food industry it serves typically has the lowest margins in the entire food service industry and makes its profits through volume of sales. The segment's largest customer is Wendy's International (WEN), making up 34% of total Sygma sales.^[5] Sygma's fiscal 2008 performance was negatively impacted by a a $5.6 million write down in software development costs and a decrease in sales volume due to weakness in the fast food industry and the consumer spending slowdown.^[14] In fiscal 2008, the Sygma segment posted $717,000 in operating income on revenues of $4.6 billion.^[8] The Sygma segment distributes a full line of food products and a wide variety of non-food products to certain chain restaurant customer locations and bills customers on a per-case-delivered basis.^[14]
• Other (9.7% of revenue, 7.3% of operating income)^[13]: The Other segment consists of Sysco's specialty produce, custom-cut meat, lodging industry products and international distribution companies.^[14] The companies in this segment are recent acquisitions that operate in a niche in the food service industry. Their revenues are smaller than those of companies in the Broadline segment, but Sysco may integrate the Other companies into Broadline companies in the future. In fiscal 2008, the Other segment posted $130.8 million in operating income on revenues of $3.6 billion.^[8]

[edit] Trends and Risk Factors

[edit] Increasing Fuel Costs Can Lower Demand and Increase Costs

Rising oil prices have the dual effect of increasing Sysco's cost of operating as well as increasing the net prices consumers pay for the food products it delivers, thereby decreasing demand. The company has locked in 60% of its fuel needs for fiscal 2009 through forward contracts and hopes to recover many of the cost increases through the use of fuel surcharges to customers.^[15] Sysco purchased its fiscal 2009 forward contracts in July and August, meaning that the company will be paying for 60% of its fuel at higher than market rate prices and will not benefit from the fall in fuel prices until 2010.

[edit] Increased Efficiency Increases Productivity and Revenues

The company has focused on route efficiency, resulting in a fuel use decrease of 8% in early fiscal 2008.^[16] Addtionally, the company has improved warehouse productivity by investing in new jacks which allow workers to increase the number of pallets they can carry at a time.^[15] Further investments in warehouse capital will allow the company to increase output without raising labor costs.

[edit] Sysco's Sales Affected by Consumers' Response to the Economic Slowdown

Sysco benefits from the expansion of casual dining - its core customer base. As the financial crisis spreads and consumers reduce their spending, they will trade down to eating at home instead of going out to restaurants. In November 2008, the percentage of American households serving leftovers increased to 57% from a historic average of 55%. Additionally, in the year ended February 2008, the average American worker took 42 home made meals to work, the most since 1995.^[17] A recession in the casual dining industry will hurt Sysco as its customers will order less products and go out of business.

[edit] Competition

Sysco is the largest food distributor in the United States with a 16% share of the $231 billion US and Canadian food service market.^[18] The company faces competitive pressure from two main sources.

• U.S. Foodservice is the second largest food distributor in the United States with an 8.6% share of the US and Canadian food service market.^[19] In 2007, the company was acquired by the private equity firms Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

• Performance Food Group Company is the third largest food distributor in the United States with a 2.7% share of the US and Canadian food service market.^[20] In 2008, the company was taken private by private equity firms The Blackstone Group and Wellspring Capital Management.

^{[19][20][8][21]}

[edit] References

1. ↑ SYY 2008 10-K pg. 38  
2. ↑ The Kitchen and Beyond.
3. ↑ SYY 2008 10-K pg. 1  
4. ↑ SYY 2008 10-K pg. 4  
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} SYY 2008 10-K pg. 2  
6. ↑ SYY 2008 10-K pg. 58  
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} SYY 2008 10-K pg. 16  
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5} syy 2008 10-K pg. 11  
9. ↑ syy 2008 10-K pg. 15  
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3} syy 2008 10-K pg. 12  
11. ↑ syy 2006 10-K pg. 12  
12. ↑ Redistribution center ready to roll.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3}
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2} SYY 2008 10-K pg. 19  
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} SYSCO Corporation F1Q09 (Qtr End 09/27/08) Earnings Call Transcript.
16. ↑ SYSCO Corporation F1Q09 (Qtr End 09/27/08) Earnings Call Transcript.
17. ↑ Campbell Beats Bear Market as Consumers Seek Out Soup.
18. ↑ SYY 2008 10-K pg. 3  
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} U.S. Foodsevice, Inc..
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Performance Food Group Company.
21. ↑ SYY 2008 10-K pg. 8