Dividend Aristocrats In Focus: Sysco Company

Up to date on February eleventh, 2023 by Samuel Smith

The Dividend Aristocrats are a bunch of 68 corporations within the S&P 500 Index, with 25+ consecutive years of dividend will increase. Broadly talking, they’re among the many highest-quality dividend progress investments in your entire inventory market.

You possibly can see a full downloadable spreadsheet of all 68 Dividend Aristocrats, together with a number of essential monetary metrics equivalent to price-to-earnings ratios, by clicking on the hyperlink beneath:

This replace will cowl meals distributor Sysco (SYY). Sysco has an extended historical past of regular dividends and common dividend will increase. It has paid a dividend each quarter because it went public in 1970.

Sysco has many enticing qualities as a dividend progress inventory. It’s the largest firm in its business, which offers it with greater revenue margins and sturdy aggressive benefits over its smaller rivals. It additionally has progress potential, and the flexibility to extend its dividend annually.

Enterprise Overview

Sysco was based in 1969 and went public the next 12 months. The corporate has grown steadily over the practically 5 many years since.

In the present day, Sysco is the most important meals distributor within the U.S. It distributes merchandise together with contemporary and frozen meals, in addition to dairy and beverage merchandise. It additionally offers non-food merchandise together with tableware, cookware, restaurant and kitchen provides, and cleansing provides.

The corporate has a variety of consumers, which embody eating places, healthcare services, training, authorities places of work, journey, leisure, and retail companies. It additionally has a big section of different buyer varieties equivalent to bakeries, church buildings, civic and fraternal organizations, merchandising distributors, and worldwide exports.

In all, Sysco has roughly 600,000 prospects. Its place atop the meals distribution business offers Sysco with high-profit margins and future progress potential.

Supply: Investor Presentation

Development Prospects

The working local weather for Sysco was challenged in 2020-2021 because the coronavirus pandemic compelled closures of eating places and different eating venues that make up Sysco’s buyer base and in addition sparked provide chain points throughout the nation. Thankfully, Sysco remained worthwhile in 2021 and noticed a major restoration in 2022.

On November 1st, 2022, Sysco reported first-quarter outcomes for Fiscal Yr (FY) 2023. The corporate ends its fiscal 12 months on the finish of June. Gross sales for the quarter have been $19.1 billion, a rise of 16.2% versus the identical interval within the fiscal 12 months 2022. Gross revenue elevated 17.4% to $3.5 billion, as in comparison with the identical quarter final 12 months. Gross margin elevated 18 foundation factors to 18.2% and adjusted gross margin is now 18.2% in comparison with 1Q2022. Web earnings additionally noticed a major enhance of 23.2% year-over-year. Earnings per share (EPS) elevated to $0.97 for the primary quarter of FY2022 in comparison with $0.83 within the prior 12 months, a 16.9% enhance.

The corporate was in a position to develop each high and backside line as a result of they’ve successfully managed inflation, elevated case quantity and grew market share. General, the corporate delivered robust monetary outcomes, rising volumes and gross sales, and bettering profitability. On the identical time, the corporate was in a position to strengthen its steadiness sheet and return $517 million to its shareholders.

Supply: Investor Presentation

The mix of natural gross sales progress, acquisition-added income progress, and share repurchases is predicted to lead to ~7% annual earnings-per-share progress, in our view. We imagine that is an attainable objective, as a result of firm’s robust enterprise mannequin and spectacular aggressive benefits.

Aggressive Benefits & Recession Efficiency

The U.S. foodservice business is fiercely aggressive. There are millions of rivals to Sysco, which embody different meals distributors, in addition to wholesale or stores, grocery stores, and on-line retailers. Sysco additionally faces the danger of its prospects negotiating instantly with its suppliers.

Nevertheless, what has saved rivals at bay for thus a few years, is that Sysco is the most important operator within the business. It controls about 16% of the U.S. foodservice business. Sysco operates over 300 distribution services worldwide and serves over 600,000 buyer places. Such an enormous presence permits Sysco to maintain prices low, ant it might go on the profit to its prospects.

One other advantage of Sysco’s enterprise mannequin is that it’s proof against recessions. Everybody has to eat, which supplies Sysco a sure stage of demand, whatever the situation of the U.S. economic system.

For this reason Sysco’s income held up properly in the course of the Nice Recession:

• 2007 earnings-per-share of $1.60
• 2008 earnings-per-share of $1.81 (13% enhance)
• 2009 earnings-per-share of $1.77 (2% decline)
• 2010 earnings-per-share of $1.99 (12% enhance)

Sysco grew earnings-per-share at a double-digit tempo in 2008 and 2010, with solely a gentle dip in 2009. The corporate grew earnings from 2007 to 2010, which was a uncommon achievement.

Sysco’s steady business and high aggressive place allowed it to boost its dividend annually, even throughout recessions.

Valuation & Anticipated Returns

Whereas the coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on Sysco, we imagine the corporate will earn $4.15 per share for FY2023. Based mostly on this, the inventory has a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.7. Our truthful worth estimate is a price-to-earnings ratio of 20, which means that the inventory is at the moment buying and selling beneath truthful estimate.

As a result of Sysco is an undervalued inventory, annual returns might be elevated by 1.3% per 12 months if the P/E a number of will increase to twenty over the subsequent 5 years.

Thankfully, Sysco doesn’t have to depend on a number of enlargement for producing robust complete returns, as the corporate has a sexy progress profile and dividend. We count on Sysco to ship as much as 7% annual earnings progress going ahead, consisting of natural progress, acquisitions, and share repurchases.

As well as, Sysco has a present dividend yield of two.5%, which is a better yield than the typical yield of the broader S&P 500 Index. This results in complete anticipated annualized returns of 10.8% per 12 months over the subsequent 5 years. It is a robust anticipated charge of return, making the inventory a Purchase.

Sysco ought to have little hassle growing its dividend going ahead. The corporate has a projected dividend payout ratio of 47% for fiscal 2023. This means the dividend is greater than sufficiently lined.

Ultimate Ideas

Sysco operates on the high of a steady business. It has an entrenched business place and will see regular demand, even throughout recessions. These qualities make Sysco a dependable inventory for earnings.

Sysco is on the unique listing of Dividend Kings, a bunch of shares with 50+ consecutive years of dividend will increase.

The inventory seems undervalued, which means that proper now could be doubtless a great time to purchase the inventory. We imagine future returns shall be fairly passable for buyers shopping for the inventory on the present valuation stage.

Whereas returns will doubtless be boosted by an increasing valuation a number of, they may primarily be pushed by means of earnings progress and dividends. Consequently, Sysco stays a high quality holding inside a dividend progress portfolio, and we charge it a purchase on the present worth.

In case you are curious about discovering extra high-quality dividend progress shares appropriate for long-term funding, the next Positive Dividend databases shall be helpful:

The foremost home inventory market indices are one other stable useful resource for locating funding concepts. Positive Dividend compiles the next inventory market databases and updates them month-to-month: