Sysco
Through the investors’ lenses
Each of these investors has said in public what they look at before buying. Click a name to see how this company measures up — a tick where it passes one of their tests, a cross where it does not.
Warren Buffett 2/4
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner earnings | $2.03bn | positive | ✓ |
| Return on equity | 65.9% | median 11.7% | ✓ |
| Debt to equity | 4.62x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
| Operating margin | 3.7% | median 15.0% | ✗ |
Passes 2 of 4. To be clear: Warren Buffett has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Terry Smith 1/4
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on capital employed | 20.7% | median 10.1% | ✓ |
| Cash conversion | 1.50x | median 1.78x | ✗ |
| Operating margin | 3.7% | median 15.0% | ✗ |
| Debt to equity | 4.62x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
Passes 1 of 4. To be clear: Terry Smith has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Charlie Munger 2/3
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on capital employed | 20.7% | median 10.1% | ✓ |
| Return on equity | 65.9% | median 11.7% | ✓ |
| Operating margin | 3.7% | median 15.0% | ✗ |
Passes 2 of 3. To be clear: Charlie Munger has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Chuck Akre 2/4
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 65.9% | median 11.7% | ✓ |
| Debt to equity | 4.62x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
| Cash conversion | 1.50x | median 1.78x | ✗ |
| Return on equity, sustained | 10 of 10 | 8 of 10 above median | ✓ |
Passes 2 of 4. To be clear: Chuck Akre has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Philip Fisher 1/4
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 3.7% | median 15.0% | ✗ |
| Net margin | 2.1% | median 10.2% | ✗ |
| Return on capital employed | 20.7% | median 10.1% | ✓ |
| Operating margin, held or improving | 3.7% | 10-yr median 3.7% | ✗ |
Passes 1 of 4. To be clear: Philip Fisher has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Walter Schloss 1/2
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current ratio | 1.28x | median 1.25x | ✓ |
| Debt to equity | 4.62x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
Passes 1 of 2. To be clear: Walter Schloss has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Benjamin Graham 1/3
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current ratio | 1.28x | 2.00x published | ✗ |
| Long-term debt to working capital | 4.23x | 1.00x published | ✗ |
| Positive earnings, ten years running | 10 yrs | 10 published | ✓ |
Passes 1 of 3. To be clear: Benjamin Graham has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Joel Greenblatt 1/1
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on capital employed | 20.7% | median 10.1% | ✓ |
Passes 1 of 1. To be clear: Joel Greenblatt has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
Peter Lynch 0/2
| Measure | SYY | Checked against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to equity | 4.62x | median 0.79x | ✗ |
| Net margin | 2.1% | median 10.2% | ✗ |
Passes 0 of 2. To be clear: Peter Lynch has never said anything about Sysco. These are the company’s own figures put through the tests he described. What he looks at, and why →
| Basis | Payout | Why |
|---|---|---|
| GAAP earnings | 59.3% | whyThe figure most screeners publish. |
| Operating cash flow | 39.3% | whyBefore capital spending. |
| Free cash flow | 53.5% | whyAfter maintaining the business. |
20 points between highest and lowest basis.
Coverage rating 68 / 100 — Adequate. ? Peer standing 29/50Direction 25/30Stability 14/20
Free cash flow payout, last 6 years
| Fiscal year | Payout |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | 53.5% |
| 2025-06-28 | 62.3% |
| 2024-06-29 | 46.7% |
| 2023-07-01 | 48.0% |
| 2022-07-02 | 82.8% |
| 2021-07-03 | 64.0% |
58% of the 38 consumer staples here pay out more.
The arithmetic
- GAAP earnings — dividends declared per share $2.17 ÷ diluted EPS $3.66
- Operating cash flow — dividends paid $1,037m ÷ operating cash flow $2,638m
- Free cash flow — dividends paid $1,037m ÷ (operating cash flow $2,638m − capex $700m)
Where the figures came from
- 10-K filed 2026-08-21 · accession 0000096021-26-000033
All public at sec.gov — you should not have to take our word for it.
Computed straight from SEC XBRL. A number that looks wrong to you is more useful to us than agreement — tell us.
What the free cash flow payout ratio measures, and where every company here sits on it.
Also on: rated adequate · when it files.
When this changes
Every figure above is recomputed whenever Sysco files. The monthly letter carries what filed, what moved, and one finding computed across every company here.