Sysco Corporation: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

As described in Note 12, “Debt and Other Financing Arrangements,” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, as of June 28, 2025, we had approximately $13.3 billion of total indebtedness, which primarily includes our outstanding senior notes. Additionally, we have the ability to borrow under our revolving credit facility, which supports our U.S. commercial paper program. Our level of indebtedness could have important consequences for us, including: •limiting our ability to obtain additional financing, if needed, for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements or other purposes; •increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic, industry or competitive developments; •limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry; and •placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt. Our indebtedness may increase from time to time for various reasons, including fluctuations in operating results, working capital needs, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions, joint ventures and/or share repurchase programs. Our level of indebtedness and the ultimate cost of such indebtedness could have a negative impact on our liquidity, cost of future debt financing and financial results, and our credit ratings may be adversely affected as a result of the incurrence of additional indebtedness. A significant downgrade in our credit ratings or adverse conditions in the capital markets may increase the cost of borrowing for us or limit our access to capital. In the future, our cash flow and capital resources may not be sufficient for payments of interest on and principal of our debt, and any alternative financing measures available may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. Of the $13.3 billion of total indebtedness, $1.75 billion will mature within the next twelve months. We expect to fund the repayment of this debt using a combination of cash flows from operations and the proceeds from issuances of commercial paper and long-term debt, however there can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance this indebtedness on terms that are favorable to the company, or at all, due to market conditions, our operating performance, investor sentiment, and risks impacting financial institutions and the credit markets more broadly. A failure to refinance such indebtedness on favorable terms, or at all, could adversely affect our business and liquidity position. 19 19 19

As described in Note 12, “Debt and Other Financing Arrangements,” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, as of June 29, 2024, we had approximately $12.0 billion of total indebtedness, which primarily includes our outstanding senior notes. Additionally, we have the ability to borrow under our revolving credit facility, which supports our U.S. commercial paper program. Our level of indebtedness could have important consequences for us, including: •limiting our ability to obtain additional financing, if needed, for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements or other purposes; •increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic, industry or competitive developments; •limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry; and •placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt. Our indebtedness may increase from time to time for various reasons, including fluctuations in operating results, working capital needs, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions, joint ventures and/or share repurchase programs. Our level of indebtedness and the ultimate cost of such indebtedness could have a negative impact on our liquidity, cost of future debt financing and financial results, and our credit ratings may be adversely affected as a result of the incurrence of additional indebtedness. A significant downgrade in our credit ratings or adverse conditions in the capital markets may increase the cost of borrowing for us or limit our access to capital. In the future, our cash flow and capital resources may not be sufficient for payments of interest on and principal of our debt, and any alternative financing measures available may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations.

Data privacy laws and the regulatory activity associated therewith, continue to evolve across most jurisdictions in which we operate. Given the complexity of these laws, uncertainty regarding their interpretation, application, and enforcement and the often-onerous requirements they place on businesses regarding the collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer, and security of personal data, it is important for us to understand their impact and respond accordingly. Failure to 18 18 18 comply with data privacy laws can result in substantial fines or penalties, legal liability and / or reputational damage and litigation. In the UK and Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR) places stringent requirements on companies when handling personal data and local regulatory guidance continues to evolve. For instance, in the UK, the adoption of the Data Use and Access Act may require more localized data storage facilities and could impact how we segregate personal data between markets. There also continues to be a growing trend of other countries adopting similar laws which we will have to assess and understand in order to implement required changes. Additionally, both the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the CCPA) are continuously evolving and developing and may be interpreted and applied differently from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and may create inconsistent or conflicting requirements. For example, the California Privacy Rights Act (the CPRA) modifies the CCPA significantly, further enhancing and extending an individual’s rights over their personal data and the obligations placed on companies that handle this data. The resulting new regulations became effective on January 1, 2023. Most notably, employee and business data were brought into scope, which raises the compliance requirements for us significantly, in terms of internal controls, processes and governance requirements. Furthermore, state-level momentum continues to increase as numerous other U.S. states have enacted, or are considering more stringent privacy laws, which may impose varying standards and requirements on our data collection, use and processing activities. Continued state by state introduction of privacy laws can be expected to lead to significantly greater complexity in our compliance requirements globally, which could result in complaints from data subjects and/or action from regulators and potential litigation claims. If we do not provide sufficient resources to ensure we are able to respond, adapt and implement the necessary requirements to respond, or we do not respond sufficiently to the various forthcoming changes, which could include federal data privacy requirements in the US, while continuing to maintain our compliance with global data privacy laws, this could adversely impact our reputation and we could face exposure to fines levied by regulators and class action and similar litigation risks, which could have a significant financial impact on our business.

Data privacy laws and the regulatory activity associated therewith, continue to evolve across most jurisdictions in which we operate. Given the complexity of these laws, uncertainty regarding their interpretation, application, and enforcement and the often-onerous requirements they place on businesses regarding the collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer, and security of personal data, it is important for us to understand their impact and respond accordingly. Failure to comply with data privacy laws can result in substantial fines or penalties, legal liability and / or reputational damage and litigation. In the UK and Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR), which came into effect in 2018, places stringent requirements on companies when handling personal data. There continues to be a growing trend of other countries adopting similar laws. 17 17 17 Additionally, there continues to be significant uncertainty with respect to the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the CCPA), which went into effect on January 1, 2020, and imposes additional obligations on companies regarding the handling of personal information and provides certain individual privacy rights to persons whose information is collected. Both the GDPR and the CCPA are continuously evolving and developing and may be interpreted and applied differently from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and may create inconsistent or conflicting requirements. For example, the California Privacy Rights Act (the CPRA), which was approved by California voters as a ballot initiative in November 2020, modifies the CCPA significantly, further enhancing and extending an individual’s rights over their personal data and the obligations placed on companies that handle this data. The resulting new regulations became effective on January 1, 2023. Most notably, employee and business data were brought into scope, which raises the compliance requirements for us significantly, in terms of internal controls, processes and governance requirements. Furthermore, since 2020, numerous other U.S. states have enacted, or are considering more stringent privacy laws, which may impose varying standards and requirements on our data collection, use and processing activities. Continued state by state introduction of privacy laws can be expected to lead to significantly greater complexity in our compliance requirements globally, which could result in complaints from data subjects and/or action from regulators and potential litigation claims. If we do not provide sufficient resources to ensure we are able to respond, adapt and implement the necessary requirements to respond, or we do not respond sufficiently to the various forthcoming changes, which could include federal data privacy requirements in the US, while continuing to maintain our compliance with global data privacy laws, this could adversely impact our reputation and we could face exposure to fines levied by regulators and class action and similar litigation risks, which could have a significant financial impact on our business.

We, like any other foodservice distributor, have been and may continue to be subject to product recalls, including voluntary recalls or withdrawals, if the products we distribute have been shown to or are alleged to have caused injury, illness, or death, to have been mislabeled, misbranded, or adulterated or to otherwise have violated applicable governmental regulations. We may also choose to voluntarily recall or withdraw products that we determine do not satisfy our quality standards, in order to protect our brand and reputation. Any product recall or withdrawal, whether as a result of injury, illness or death or otherwise and that results in substantial and unexpected expenditures, destruction of product inventory, damage to our reputation and/or lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In the past we have, and in the future we may also face the risk of exposure to product liability claims if the use of products sold by Sysco does cause or is alleged to have caused injury, illness, or death. We cannot be sure that consumption of 15 15 15 our products will not cause a health-related illness, injury or death in the future or that we will not be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such matters. Further, even if a product liability claim is false, untrue, unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that our products caused illness, injury or death could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and our corporate and brand image. Umbrella liability insurance that we maintain for product liability claims may not continue to be available at a reasonable cost or, if available, may not be adequate to cover all of our liabilities. We generally seek contractual indemnification and insurance coverage from parties supplying our products, but this indemnification or insurance coverage is limited, as a practical matter, to the creditworthiness of the indemnifying party and the insured limits of any insurance provided by suppliers. If we do not have adequate insurance or contractual indemnification available (or if such indemnitor is unable to fulfill its indemnity obligations for whatever reason), product liability relating to defective products or claims could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We, like any other foodservice distributor, may be subject to product recalls, including voluntary recalls or withdrawals, if the products we distribute are alleged to have caused injury or illness, to have been mislabeled, misbranded, or adulterated or to otherwise have violated applicable governmental regulations. We may also choose to voluntarily recall or withdraw products that we determine do not satisfy our quality standards, in order to protect our brand and reputation. Any future product recall or withdrawal that results in substantial and unexpected expenditures, destruction of product inventory, damage to our reputation and/or lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. We also face the risk of exposure to product liability claims if the use of products sold by Sysco is alleged to have caused injury or illness. We cannot be sure that consumption of our products will not cause a health-related illness in the future or that we will not be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such matters. Further, even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that our products caused illness or injury could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and our corporate and brand image. Umbrella liability insurance that we maintain for product liability claims may not continue to be available at a reasonable cost or, if available, may not be adequate to cover all of our liabilities. We generally seek contractual indemnification and insurance coverage from parties supplying our products, but this indemnification or insurance coverage is limited, as a practical matter, to 14 14 14 the creditworthiness of the indemnifying party and the insured limits of any insurance provided by suppliers. If we do not have adequate insurance or contractual indemnification available, product liability relating to defective products could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Public health crises, pandemics and epidemics could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and disrupt the operations of our business partners, suppliers and customers. We cannot predict with certainty the extent to which our operations may be impacted in the future by the effects of public health crises, pandemics, or epidemics on us or on our business partners, suppliers and customers. Fear of these or similar events may alter consumer confidence, behavior and spending patterns, and could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries (or globally), resulting in an economic downturn that could affect customers’ demand for our products. In response to public health crises, governmental authorities in many countries in which we, our customers and our suppliers are present and operate, may impose mandatory closures, seek voluntary closures and impose restrictions on, or advisories with respect to, travel, business operations and public gatherings or interactions. Among other matters, these actions could require or strongly urge various venues where foodservice products are served, including restaurants, schools, hotels and cruise liners, to reduce or discontinue operations, which could adversely affect demand in the foodservice industry, including demand for our products and services. Any future outbreak of a public health crisis, pandemic, or epidemic that adversely affects our business, results of operations and financial condition, could also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC, such as those risks relating to our level of indebtedness, and may have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

Public health crises, pandemics and epidemics could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic adversely impacted our business, results of operations and financial condition directly and disrupted the operations of our business partners, suppliers and customers. While our operations have generally stabilized since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot predict with certainty the extent to which our operations may be impacted in the future by any similar effects of a more severe variant of COVID-19 or other public health crises, pandemics, or epidemics on us or on our business partners, suppliers and customers. Fear of these or similar events may further alter consumer confidence, behavior and spending patterns, and could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries (or globally), resulting in an economic downturn that could affect customers’ demand for our products. In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 and its development into a pandemic, governmental authorities in many countries in which we, our customers and our suppliers were present and operated, imposed mandatory closures, sought voluntary closures and imposed restrictions on, or advisories with respect to, travel, business operations and public gatherings or interactions. Among other matters, these actions required or strongly urged various venues where foodservice products were served, including restaurants, schools, hotels and cruise liners, to reduce or discontinue operations, which adversely affected demand in the foodservice industry, including demand for our products and services. The future outbreak of a public health crisis, pandemic, or epidemic could cause some governmental authorities to reintroduce similar restrictions in the future, which could adversely affect demand in the foodservice industry. Any future outbreak of a public health crisis, pandemic, or epidemic that adversely affects our business, results of operations and financial condition, could also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC, such as those risks relating to our level of indebtedness, and may have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock.