Ferguson Enterprises Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Jul 31, 2024

Overview

Ferguson is the largest value-added distributor serving the specialized professional in our $340 billion residential and non-residential North American construction market. We help make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful and sustainable by providing expertise and a wide range of products and services from plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”), appliances, and lighting to pipes, valves and fittings (“PVF”), water and wastewater solutions and more. We sell through a common network of distribution centers, branches, counter service and specialist sales associates, showroom consultants and e-commerce channels.

The Company has a long history and maintained businesses throughout Europe, Canada and the United States in the 1900s. In the early 2000s, the Company’s focus shifted to attractive North American markets. As a result, the operating businesses across Europe were disposed of through various transactions. As part of this transition and following a corporate restructuring, Ferguson plc became the ultimate holding company for the business in 2019.

The Company was incorporated and registered in Jersey as Alpha JCo Limited on March 8, 2019 under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991, as amended (the “Jersey Companies Law”), as a private limited company with company number 128484. The Company converted its status to a public limited company and changed its name, first to Ferguson Newco plc on March 26, 2019, and then to Ferguson plc on May 10, 2019. At that time, our jurisdiction of organization was Jersey and we were centrally managed and controlled in the United Kingdom and therefore we were a tax resident of the United Kingdom.

On May 30, 2024, the shareholders of Ferguson plc voted to approve a new corporate structure to domicile the Company’s ultimate parent company in the United States. Effective on August 1, 2024, the Company implemented this new corporate structure by completing the Merger that resulted in (i) Ferguson plc becoming a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Ferguson Enterprises Inc., a Delaware corporation, and (ii) the shareholders of Ferguson plc at the designated record time for the Merger no longer holding ordinary shares of Ferguson plc but instead holding shares of common stock of Ferguson Enterprises Inc. As a result of the Merger, Ferguson Enterprises Inc. became the successor issuer to Ferguson plc, which was renamed “Ferguson (Jersey) Limited” and converted into a private company.

Ferguson is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: FERG) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FERG).

The Company’s corporate headquarters and management office are located at 751 Lakefront Commons, Newport News, Virginia, 23606 and its telephone number is +1 757-874-7795.

Business segments

The Company’s reportable segments are established based on how the Company manages its business and allocates resources, which is on a geographical basis. The Company’s reportable segments are the United States and Canada. For further segment information, see Part II, Item 7: Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 2, Revenue and segment information of the Notes to the Ferguson plc Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8: Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Annual Report (the “Consolidated Financial Statements”). Below is a description of the Company’s reportable segments.

United States segment

The United States segment contributed 95% of net sales in each of fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022.

The United States segment operates primarily under the Ferguson brand, providing expertise and a wide range of products and services from plumbing, HVAC, appliances, and lighting to PVF, water and wastewater solutions, and more to residential and non-residential customers. Its products are delivered through a common network of distribution centers, branches, counter service and specialist sales associates, showroom consultants and e-commerce channels. As of July 31, 2024, the United States business operated 1,549 branches and 10 regional distribution centers serving all 50 states with approximately 32,000 associates. These locations provide same-day and next-day product availability, which we believe to be a competitive advantage and an important requirement for customers. In addition, our United States business operates three market distribution centers (“MDCs”) in Denver, Colorado, Houston, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona for branch replenishment and final mile distribution to customers.

Canada segment

The Canada segment contributed 5% of net sales in each of fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022.

The Canada segment operates primarily under the Wolseley brand and supplies plumbing, HVAC and refrigeration products to residential and commercial contractors. The Canada segment also supplies specialist water and wastewater treatment products to residential, commercial and infrastructure contractors, and supplies PVF solutions to industrial customers. As of July 31, 2024, the Canada business operated 224 branches with one regional distribution center and approximately 3,000 associates. In addition, our Canada business operates one MDC in Brampton, Ontario (Toronto) for branch replenishment and final mile distribution.

Business model

We have a balanced approach to attractive end markets and serve customers principally in North America. Residential and non-residential markets each account for approximately half of our net sales, with net sales within these combined markets balanced between repair, maintenance and improvement (“RMI”) (approximately two-thirds of our net sales) and new construction (approximately one-third of our net sales), based on management’s estimates.

Ferguson operates in highly fragmented markets, with no one market dominated by any single distributor. We are positioned as one of the top distributors in most end markets we serve, including residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure and industrial.

Our business bridges the gap between a large and fragmented supplier base with an even larger and more fragmented customer base. As of July 31, 2024, we had approximately 36,000 suppliers, with no supplier accounting for more than 5% of total inventory purchases, which provides us access to a diverse and broad range of quality products. We serve our customers through a network of 11 regional distribution centers, four MDCs, approximately 5,900 fleet vehicles, 1,773 branches and approximately 35,000 associates, in each case, as of July 31, 2024.

Customers

We help make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful and sustainable. We offer expertise and a broad range of products delivered where and when our customers need them. Customers rely on us to help them deliver critical infrastructure spanning almost every stage of projects within the residential and non-residential markets. We partner with our customers to keep millions of homes and businesses operating while helping them to run their business more efficiently. No single customer accounted for more than 1% of our net sales in fiscal 2024.

Value-added products and solutions

Our value-added solutions include a variety of sales channels available to our customers ranging from inside and outside sales teams, sales centers, digital commerce capabilities, system-to-system capabilities, counter sales and showrooms. We also offer customized solutions such as virtual design, fabrication, valve actuation, pre-assembly, kitting, installation and project management services. With our value-added solutions, we aim to increase productivity for our customers and for the industry.

We source, distribute and sell products from domestic and international suppliers. Our products include branded products and own brand products that the Company sells exclusively in the market. We purchase from approximately 36,000 suppliers. Over 95% of the products sold in the United States are sourced from U.S.-based suppliers, while approximately 90% of the products sold in Canada are sourced from Canada-based suppliers.

Our branded and own brand products are generally available from several sources and are not typically subject to supply constraints in normal market conditions. In the United States, approximately 14% of net sales are derived from basic products containing significant amounts of commodity-priced materials, predominantly plastic, copper and steel, and other components which can be subject to volatile price changes based upon fluctuations in the commodities market. To a lesser extent, fluctuations in the price of fuel could affect transportation costs. In general, increases in such prices increase our operating costs and negatively impact our operating profit to the extent that such increases cannot be passed on to customers. Conversely, if competitive pressures allow us to hold prices despite relevant raw material prices falling, profitability can increase.

Fulfillment options for our customers include delivery, customer pick-up from our branches, counters and locker locations, and direct shipments.

We also offer after-sales support that comprises warranty, credit, project-based billing, returns and maintenance, repair and operations (“MRO”) support.

Global supply chain

We have a global supply chain which provides access to approximately 36,000 suppliers and we sell more than 1 million unique products each year. We operate an extensive network across North America, including three import centers, 11 regional distribution centers and 1,773 branch locations as of July 31, 2024. Our network also includes four MDCs which provide greater access to key strategic markets and allows us to bring our products closer to our customers. These MDCs include automated picking and replenishment systems for the majority of items picked. This automation improves efficiency and reduces manual handling of certain products which supports associate health and safety.

Competitive conditions

We believe we are well-equipped to win new customers and generate attractive returns. We have leading positions in the residential and non-residential markets based on net sales as a percentage of overall market size. For fiscal 2024, residential and non-residential markets each account for approximately half of our net sales, with net sales within these combined markets balanced between RMI (approximately two-thirds of our net sales) and new construction (approximately one-third of our net sales), based on management’s estimates. We have chosen to operate in each of these markets because we believe we can generate strong growth, solid gross and net margins and good returns on capital.

The markets we serve are highly fragmented with very few large competitors and a high number of small, local distributors, as well as mid-size regional distributors. While our market positions can be expanded through growth of our existing business, acquisitions also remain a core part of our growth strategy and we expect to focus on acquisitions that bolt-on to our existing branch network as well as acquisitions that provide further capabilities to serve our customers. We believe there is a significant opportunity for strong growth and continued consolidation within our markets.

Many customer projects require a range of products and solutions and we leverage our scale and expertise across the organization for the benefit of our customers. Specifically, we believe our network of suppliers, associates and the number of branches and distribution centers provides us with the scale and expertise to serve our customers better than our competitors do, as many of these competitors operate only locally. In addition, we also benefit from significant synergies to help lower operating costs and improve margins. We believe these factors enable continued growth in net sales as well as growth in cash flow and, therefore, may better enable us to provide investment returns to shareholders.

Our scale and expertise position us to be involved in all stages of our customers’ projects, including design, staging, and project management. Across all our customers, we take a consultative approach. We partner with our customers in an effort to guide complex projects to a successful conclusion, and to make the entire project better because Ferguson was involved.

Contractual relationships and seasonality

We are not dependent on any material licenses, industrial, commercial or financial contracts (including contracts with customers and suppliers) or new manufacturing processes. Our business is not highly seasonal although we generally experience the highest volume of sales in our fourth fiscal quarter which begins during the spring season in North America.

Intellectual property

We rely on a combination of intellectual property laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our proprietary assets and our brands. We have registered or applied for registration of trademarks, service marks, and internet domain names, both domestically and internationally.

Regulatory landscape

Our operations are affected by various statutes, regulations and standards in the countries and markets in which we operate, including the United States and Canada. The amount of such regulation and the penalties for any breaches can vary. While we are not engaged in a highly regulated industry, we are subject to the laws governing businesses generally, including laws relating to competition, product safety, data protection, labor and employment practices, accounting and tax standards, international trade, fraud, bribery and corruption, land usage, the environment, health and safety, transportation, payment terms and other matters. We do not currently expect compliance with these laws and regulations to have a material effect on our capital expenditures, results of operations, or competitive position as compared to prior periods.

Human capital management

Our associates are fundamental to the long-term success of the Company. We continue to invest in the development of our associates and are committed to attracting, developing, engaging and retaining the best talent. Our associate base includes a mix of tenured associates and external hires, blended with new talent through acquisitions.

As of July 31, 2024, Ferguson employed approximately 35,000 associates, of which approximately 32,000 were in the United States, 3,000 were in Canada and a small number of associates were in certain other jurisdictions, including Asia, Switzerland, and the U.K.

Our human capital management program is guided by three core pillars, which are aligned with our inclusion and diversity (“I&D”) strategy: attracting top talent, promoting growth, and fostering engagement and retention.

Attracting top talent

We seek the best associates in our industry. Our hiring process is intended to reach a diverse talent pool to assist us in fostering a culture of inclusion and acceptance through differences in thought, experience and perspective.

Promoting growth

We place great emphasis on helping our associates develop and expand their skills. The career paths of our tenured leadership team demonstrate our emphasis in the area. Through internal mobility, many of our leaders shifted from frontline roles to managerial roles. Our learning and development initiatives are designed to foster both immediate and long-term growth, empowering our associates to advance their careers within Ferguson. We offer a variety of leadership and development programs that develop skills and capabilities for our associates and leaders. These programs are tailored to associates’ leadership level and potential. The Company also offers associates professional development courses, many of which are on-demand and targeted at improving technical skills, sales, communication, well-being, critical thinking and relationship management skills.

Fostering engagement and retention

We strive to create an environment where our associates can bring their true, authentic selves to work every day.

Our five Business Resource Groups (“BRGs”) play a role in our effort to enhance the overall well being of our associates, support professional development and create a positive workplace environment. Our BRGs include: BOLD (Black), EmpowHER (Women), Building Pride (LGBTQ+), VALOR (Veterans) and HOLA (Hispanic/Latin American). Membership is open to all our associates and participation is voluntary. Each BRG is led by an executive sponsor, a chair and a leadership team who are voted into their roles by their respective BRG members.

To support engagement and retention of our associates, we conduct an annual survey where associates can provide us with their feedback. From the resulting data, we develop an action plan designed to make improvements in the areas our associates indicated that they value most. In addition, we are committed to supporting our associates as well as customers and people within our communities. Through a variety of outreach efforts, we provide our associates with the opportunity to directly engage in community service.

We offer these development and engagement programs to aid in the growth, engagement and retention of our associates. We believe that these programs, as well as our strategic focus on I&D, support our objective to retain the best talent.

Culture and values

We strive to maintain a culture of integrity and are committed to acting ethically in all our business activities. Our core values provide guidance on ethical situations where there may be uncertainty over how to proceed and set out the standards that we expect of our associates and those who may work on our behalf. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code of Conduct”) is a resource dedicated to helping our associates live by our values and understand Ferguson’s commitment to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, our Code of Conduct and Company policies. We require new associates to complete our Code of Conduct training upon hire and all current associates to complete our Code of Conduct training on an annual basis.

Compensation and rewards

To help attract and retain talent, we offer our associates rewards that are designed to be market competitive. We regularly assess our total rewards programs, including compensation and recognition programs, in an effort to provide equitable and competitive programs that align with our overall compensation philosophy. We are committed to rewarding our associates based on achievement of organizational goals and individual performance. We offer a variety of health, welfare, and financial benefits to our full-time and part-time associates, including health care and insurance benefits, mental health and well-being resources, retirement plans, and an employee share purchase plan, among others.

We believe acknowledging exceptional performance contributes to company success. We have several established programs to recognize top performing sales associates and managers for their outstanding contributions. We also award associates who demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, teamwork, safety, service and impact.

Health and safety

We strive to drive continuous improvement in our health and safety performance by maintaining high standards for our health and safety compliance programs and training our associates on and enforcing expected safe behaviors and global safety rules. We promote a culture of “first in safety,” which is supported by a commitment from our executive leadership and through engagement with our associates. We endeavor to ensure that at each location, our associates and our contractors are well-informed about health and safety measures and are provided with the appropriate equipment and tools to protect themselves and those around them. Our safety efforts are further supported by the allocation of additional resources for safety improvements and the employment of dedicated safety professionals. Through continuous investment in health and safety, we strive to mitigate the risk of and minimize the exposure to on-the-job injuries.

ESG Report

Additional information regarding our activities related to ESG matters, including our people and human capital management, can be found in our most recent ESG Report, which is available on our website. The contents of this report are not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report or in any other report or document we file with or furnish to the SEC.

Available information

The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. In accordance with these requirements, the Company files reports and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The Company’s website is corporate.ferguson.com. The Company’s reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments thereto, are available, free of charge, through the Company’s website as soon as reasonably practicable after the material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC.

Any references to the Company’s website contained herein do not constitute incorporation by reference of information contained on such website and such information should not be considered part of this Annual Report.

Risk factors summary

For a summary of risk factors, see our “Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factor Summary” on page 1.

Risk factors

In addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report, you should carefully consider the following risk factors before investing in our common stock. The risks and uncertainties we describe below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not aware or that we currently believe are immaterial may also adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of the Company. If any of the possible events described below were to occur, the business, financial condition and results of operations of the Company could be materially and adversely affected. If that happens, the market price of our common stock could decline, and holders of shares of our common stock could lose all or part of their investment.

This Annual Report also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including the risks described below and elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Market conditions, competition, financial

Weakness in the economy, market trends, uncertainty and other conditions in the markets in which we operate, particularly in the U.S., may adversely affect the profitability and financial stability of our customers, and could negatively impact our sales growth and results of operations.

Our financial performance depends significantly on industry trends and general economic conditions, including the state of the residential and non-residential markets, as well as changes in gross domestic product in the geographic markets in which we operate, particularly in the U.S. where we generated 95% of our net sales in fiscal 2024. We serve several end markets in which the demand for our products is sensitive to the construction activity, capital spending and demand for products of our customers. Many of these customers operate in markets that are subject to fluctuations resulting from market uncertainty, costs of goods sold, rising interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, labor shortages, including a shortage of skilled trade professionals, work stoppages and strikes, foreign competition, offshoring of production, oil, natural gas and other commodity prices, energy costs, geopolitical developments and conflicts and any related international response thereto, wage inflation and a variety of other factors beyond our control. In particular, our customers may be affected by the shortage of skilled trade professionals in the U.S. If the shortage continues, it could lead to existing customers delaying the placement of or failing to place additional orders due to a lack of sufficient skilled trade professionals needed to take on additional projects. Any of these factors could cause customers to idle or close facilities, delay purchases, reduce production levels or experience reductions in the demand for their own products or services.

Adverse conditions in, or uncertainty about, the markets in which we operate, the global or regional economy or political climate could also adversely impact our customers and their confidence or financial condition, causing them to decide not to purchase our products or alter the timing of purchasing decisions or construction projects, and could also impact their ability to pay for products purchased from us. Other factors beyond our control, including but not limited to inflation, deflation, slow or stagnant economic growth or recession, government spending, unemployment, interest rate and mortgage rate fluctuations, mortgage delinquency and foreclosure rates, inventory loss due to theft, foreign currency fluctuations, labor and healthcare costs, the availability of financing, disruption in the financial and credit markets, including as a result of instability in the banking sector and the failure of financial institutions, changes in tax laws affecting the real estate industry, product availability constraints as a result of ineffectiveness of or disruption to our domestic or international supply chain or fulfillment networks, weather, cybersecurity incidents or network security breaches, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, acts of war, consumer activism, pandemics or epidemics, international trade tensions, civil unrest and geopolitical conditions, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any of these events could impair the ability of our customers to make full and timely payments for, or reduce the volume of, products these customers purchase from us and could cause increased pressure on our selling prices and terms of sale. Accordingly, a significant or prolonged slowdown in activity in our relevant end markets could negatively impact net sales growth and results of operations. In addition, we have closed and may in the future have to close underperforming branches and/or showrooms from time to time as warranted by general economic conditions and/or weakness in the end markets in which we operate. Such closures could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We could be adversely impacted by declines in the residential and non-residential markets.

In fiscal 2024, residential markets and non-residential markets each accounted for approximately half of our net sales, with net sales within these combined markets balanced between RMI (approximately two-thirds of our net sales) and new construction (approximately one-third of our net sales). Our end markets are dependent, in part, upon certain macroeconomic trends. For example, in the past we have seen a slowdown in our end markets caused by softer demand, inflation, higher interest or mortgage rates, and other issues in the market. While in the U.S. the pricing environment has declined, uncertainty remains as to the timing of the Federal Reserve reducing interest rates. Should the Federal Reserve defer the timing and/or magnitude of interest rate reductions, it could result in weak or no growth in our end markets. Any slowdown or stagnation may cause unanticipated shifts in our end market preferences and purchasing practices and in the business models and strategies of our customers. Such shifts may alter the nature and prices of products demanded by the end consumer and, in turn, our customers and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The industries in which we operate are highly competitive, and changes in competition could result in decreased demand for our products and related service offerings and could have a material adverse effect on our sales and profitability.

We face competition in all markets we serve, including, but not limited to, from other companies of varying size that offer the same or similar products and services, wholesale distributors, supply houses, retail enterprises, online businesses, and manufacturers (including some of our own suppliers) that sell directly to certain segments of the market.

Further, the competitive landscape is dynamic and subject to change. For example, the arrival of new or expansion of existing competitors with lower-cost non-value added transactional business models or new technologies may aggregate demand away from incumbents. In addition, certain competitors may devote more resources to systems development and automation or respond more quickly to emerging technologies (such as generative AI) and changes in customer preferences than we do. Furthermore, the industries in which we operate may be disrupted by non-traditional competitors through acquisitions of traditional competitors to expand their capabilities and/or targeted customer base. These non-traditional competitors, in some cases, have larger customer bases, greater brand recognition and greater resources than we do. Furthermore, this competitor consolidation could cause the industries in which we operate to become more competitive as greater economies of scale are achieved.

Additionally, we have experienced competitive pressure from certain of our suppliers who are now selling their products directly to customers. Our suppliers can often sell their products at lower prices and maintain higher gross margins on their product sales than we can.

Moreover, competition could further intensify in the future as new entrants have increasing interest in our industry. Increased competition may result in reduced net sales, lower operating margins, reduced profitability, loss of market share and diminished brand recognition.

In response to these competitive pressures, among other initiatives, we are applying technology as an important medium for delivering better customer service alongside the supply of our products, and to create dedicated tools to save customers time and money. However, such initiatives may take longer than expected, we may not realize the anticipated benefits from such initiatives, and the initiatives may not be successful. In addition, failure to effectively execute our strategies, including the development and acquisition of such new business models or technologies, or to successfully identify future market and competitive pressures, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Fluctuating product prices may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Some of our products contain significant amounts of commodity-priced materials, predominantly plastic, copper and steel, and other components that are subject to price changes based upon fluctuations in the commodities market, which can arise from changes in domestic and international supply and demand, general inflationary and deflationary pressures, labor costs, competition, tariffs and trade restrictions and geopolitical conflict, among other factors. To a lesser extent, fluctuations in the price of fuel could affect transportation costs. In addition, shipping capacity constraints and related fluctuations in shipping rates and space availability further impact the product cost. Our ability to adjust prices in a timely manner to account for price fluctuations will often depend on market conditions, our fixed costs, inflation and deflation, and other factors. In the event that circumstances require us to adjust our product prices and operational strategies to reflect fluctuating prices (inflation/deflation), there can be no assurance that such adjustments will be effective. For example, our inability to pass on all or a portion of product price inflation to our customers in a timely manner could reduce our profit margins. Similarly, downward pressure on product prices due to deflation could cause profit margins to decline, particularly in the case of sustained price deflation coupled with increasing costs of operations. Our efforts to monitor for signs of moderation or deflation, which would present risks that we may not be able to totally mitigate, may be ineffective. Any failure to appropriately address some or all of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have funding risks related to our defined benefit pension plans.

We operate a variety of pension plans, including funded and underfunded defined benefit schemes in Canada and the U.K. Our pension trustees and plan sponsors aim to match the liabilities with a portfolio of assets, comprising equity and debt securities alongside diversified growth assets and further investments designed to hedge the underlying interest and inflation risk in the associated liabilities. The market value of these assets can rise and fall over time, which impacts the funding position of the plan. The U.K. defined benefit pension plan (the “U.K. Plan”), our largest defined benefit plan, is closed to future service costs and has a buy-in insurance policy which covers a large proportion of the existing participants.

As required by U.K. pensions regulation, the U.K. Plan completed its triennial actuarial valuation exercise in fiscal 2023, which is measured on a technical provisions basis, based on the U.K. Plan’s financial position as of April 30, 2022. The triennial valuation resulted in a need for deficit reduction contributions of £133 million spread over the period to January 31, 2026, of which we have paid £50 million as of July 31, 2024. New funding requirements will apply to the next triennial valuation of the U.K. Plan (as of April 30, 2025), requiring the plan to target a funding level where dependency on the employer is low. Any additional funding requirements, which could be affected by factors such as a deterioration in economic conditions or changes in actuarial assumptions, could have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

Furthermore, the U.K. pensions regulator could take action (for example civil, criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties) in situations where the “employer covenant” of a defined benefit plan—the willingness and ability of the sponsor to fund the plan—has been detrimentally affected in a material way or where corporate activity, such as certain corporate activities taken in connection with the Merger, poses a materially detrimental risk to accrued plan benefits. The consequences of successful civil and criminal actions include fines, and (in the case of civil actions) requirements to provide further funding for the plan, for both the sponsor and its connected group companies. In addition, actions by the trustees of our pension plans or any material revisions to the existing pension legislation could result in us being required to incur significant additional costs immediately or in short time frames. Such costs, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

Changes in our credit ratings and outlook may reduce access to capital and increase borrowing costs.

Our credit ratings are based on a number of factors, including our financial strength and factors outside of our control, such as conditions affecting our industry generally and the introduction of new rating practices and methodologies. We cannot provide assurances that our current credit ratings will remain in effect or that the ratings will not be lowered, suspended or withdrawn entirely by the rating agencies. If rating agencies lower, suspend or withdraw the ratings, the market price or marketability of our securities may be adversely affected. Pressure on the ratings could also arise from higher shareholder payouts or larger acquisitions than we have currently planned that result in increased leverage, or in a deterioration in the metrics used by the rating agencies to assess creditworthiness. In addition, any change in ratings could make it more difficult for us to raise capital on acceptable terms, impact the ability to obtain adequate financing and result in higher interest costs on future financings.

We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us.

We may seek access to the capital and credit markets to supplement our existing funds and cash generated from operations for working capital, capital expenditure and debt service requirements and other business initiatives. Capital and credit markets may experience volatility and disruption from time to time, which can lead to uncertainty and liquidity issues for both borrowers and investors. In the event of adverse market conditions, we may be unable to obtain capital or credit market financing on favorable terms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Potential regional or global barriers to trade or a global trade war could increase the cost of our products, which could adversely impact the competitiveness of our products and our financial results.

Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated over the past several years which resulted in elevated tariffs. The current U.S. presidential administration has not taken action to roll these back. Following the Office of United States Trade Representative’s (the “USTR”) quadrennial review of the tariffs imposed on China-origin goods pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (the “U.S. Trade Act”), in May 2024, the USTR recommended that tariffs on products from China would continue at current rates or have their rates raised. Rates on certain steel and aluminum products under Section 301 will increase from 0-7.5% to 25% in 2024.

This process and the change in the U.S. presidential administration resulting from the 2024 election may or may not change these tariff actions and it remains unclear what additional, new, or different actions, if any, will be taken by the U.S., China, or other governments with respect to international trade agreements, the imposition of tariffs on goods imported into the U.S., the erection of barriers to trade, tax policy related to international commerce, or other trade matters. The potential removal of some of the tariffs and trade actions and the respective deflationary impact could have an effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. At this point in time, it remains to be seen what effects, if any, the current administration will have on a long-term comprehensive agreement on tariffs between the U.S. and China.

Our strategy could be materially adversely affected by our indebtedness.

We had total debt of $3.9 billion as of July 31, 2024. We may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, in particular in connection with future acquisitions which remain a core part of our strategy, some of which may be secured by some or all of our assets. Our overall level of indebtedness from time to time may have an adverse effect on our strategy, including requiring us to dedicate portions of our cash flow to payments on our debt, thereby reducing funds available for reinvestment in the business; restricting us from securing financing, if necessary, to pursue acquisition opportunities; limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and industry; limiting our ability to purchase, redeem or retire our common stock; and placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have lower levels of indebtedness. In addition, our indebtedness exposes us to the risk of increased interest rates because a portion of our borrowings are at variable rates of interest.

We may need to refinance some or all of our debt upon maturity either on terms which could potentially be less favorable than the existing terms or under unfavorable market conditions, which may also have an adverse effect on our strategy. Our ability to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness or obtain additional financing depends on many factors beyond our control.

Fluctuations in foreign currency may have an adverse effect on reported results of operations.

We are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk with respect to the USD relative to the local currencies of our international subsidiaries, predominantly CAD, arising from transactions in the normal course of business (such as sales and loans to wholly owned subsidiaries, sales to third-party customers, and purchases from suppliers). Our only significant foreign currency exchange exposure from a net sales perspective is CAD. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could affect our results of operations and impact reported net sales and net income.

Our ability to pay dividends or effect other returns of capital in the future depends, among other things, on our financial performance.

There can be no guarantee that our historical performance will be repeated in the future, particularly given the competitive nature of the industry in which we operate, and our net sales, net income and cash flow may significantly underperform market expectations. If our cash flow underperforms market expectations, then our capacity to pay a dividend or effect other returns of capital (including, without limitation, share repurchases) may be negatively impacted. Any decision to declare and pay dividends or to effect other returns of capital will be made at the discretion of the Board and will depend on, among other things, Delaware corporate law, restrictions, if any, on the payment of dividends and/or capital returns in our financing arrangements, our financial position, retained earnings/net income, working capital requirements, interest expense, general economic conditions and other factors that the Board deems appropriate from time to time.

We cannot guarantee that our share repurchase program will be fully consummated or that our share repurchase program will enhance long-term shareholder value, and share repurchases could increase the volatility of the price of our common stock and could diminish our liquidity.

As of July 31, 2024, Ferguson had completed approximately $3.1 billion of its previously announced $4.0 billion share repurchase program with approximately $0.9 billion remaining under its share repurchase program. The timing and actual number of shares of common stock to be repurchased will depend on a variety of factors including cash availability and other market conditions. The share repurchase program could affect the price of our shares and increase volatility and we may suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time, which may result in a decrease in the trading price of our shares. The existence of a share repurchase program could also cause the price of our shares of common stock to be higher than it would be in the absence of such a program and could potentially reduce the market liquidity for our shares of common stock. Additionally, repurchases under our share repurchase program could diminish our liquidity.

The Company is a holding company with no business operations of its own and depends on its subsidiaries for cash, including in order to pay dividends.

The Company is a holding company with no independent operations and is dependent on its operating subsidiaries to generate cash, including in order to pay dividends to its shareholders. The Company’s ability to pay dividends to its shareholders therefore depends on the ability of its subsidiaries to service intercompany loans, distribute profits and/or pay dividends, general economic conditions and other factors that the Board deems significant from time to time. The Company’s distributable reserves can be affected by reductions in profitability, impairment of assets and severe market turbulence.

Operations and technology

If our domestic or international supply chain or our fulfillment network for our products is ineffective or disrupted for any reason, or if these operations are subject to trade policy changes, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We source, distribute and sell products from domestic and international suppliers, and their ability to reliably and efficiently fulfill our orders is critical to our business success. As of July 31, 2024, we had approximately 36,000 suppliers located in various countries around the world.

Our business could be negatively impacted by a serious disruption in the movement of products through our supply chain or by an increase in the cost of such products, including due to any of the following or other factors beyond our control: financial instability among key suppliers; global or regional political unrest, disputes or war, or labor unrest, in source countries or elsewhere in our supply chain; changes in the total costs in our supply chain (including, but not limited to, changes in fuel and labor costs and currency exchange rates); port or rail labor disputes and security; the outbreak or resurgence of pandemics or epidemics; weather- or climate-related events; natural disasters; work stoppages or strikes; shipping capacity constraints or embargoes; changes in trade policy and any trade restrictions; tariffs or duties; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; or transport availability, capacity and costs. Additionally, as we add fulfillment capabilities or pursue strategies with different fulfillment requirements, our fulfillment network becomes increasingly complex and operating it becomes more challenging. If our fulfillment network does not operate properly or if a supplier fails to deliver on its commitments, we could experience delays in inventory availability at our distribution facilities and branches, increased delivery costs or lack of availability, any of which could lead to lower net sales and decreased customer confidence, and adversely affect our results of operations. Furthermore, more of our existing suppliers may decide to supply products directly to end users that are our existing or potential customers, which could have a detrimental effect on our ability to keep and procure customers, and maintain and win business, thereby having a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Execution of our operational strategies could prove unsuccessful, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

To achieve our key priorities, we must drive profitable growth across our operational businesses by fulfilling customer needs, capitalizing on attractive markets and growth opportunities and achieving planned execution. Meeting customer needs through comprehensive and differentiated products and solutions that support our customers’ projects is a key part of our strategy to drive profitable growth. If service levels were to significantly decrease, customers might purchase from our competitors instead, resulting in reduced net sales, lower operating margins, reduced profitability, loss of market share and/or diminished brand recognition.

Development of our operating model is a key part of driving profitable growth. If we are not sufficiently agile in adapting our operating model, we may be unable to adapt to changing customer wants and/or to flex our cost base when required. Moreover, we may not successfully execute our strategic initiatives on expected timelines or at all, including through failure to have the right talent in place or to achieve internal alignment or coordination. Any failure to appropriately address some or all of these risks could damage our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not rapidly identify or effectively respond to direct and/or end customers’ wants, expectations or trends, which could adversely affect our relationship with customers, our reputation, the demand for our products and our market share.

The success of our business depends in part on our ability to identify and respond promptly to evolving trends in demographics, as well as customer wants, preferences and expectations, while also managing appropriate inventory levels and maintaining sufficient staffing to deliver an excellent customer experience. It is difficult to successfully predict the products and solutions that customers will require. In addition, the customers in the markets we serve have different needs and expectations, many of which evolve as the demographics in a particular market change. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand due to the difficulty of calibrating demand for such products, the concentration of demand for a limited number of products, difficulties in product sourcing, or rapid changes in demand may result in inventory write-downs, and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices could have an adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and cash flows. Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand for our products or if our manufacturers fail to supply products we require at the time we need them, we may experience inventory shortages. Inventory shortages might delay shipments to customers and negatively impact customer relationships. Moreover, as we manage our cost base and resource allocation, our total number of associates may decrease due to natural attrition, decisions not to backfill open positions, or targeted headcount reductions. A failure to serve our customers on their required timeframes, including due to lack of available associates, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We offer more localized assortments of our products to appeal to needs within each end market. If we do not successfully evolve and differentiate to meet the individual needs and expectations of, or within, a particular end market, we may lose market share.

We are continuing to invest in our e-commerce and omni-channel capabilities and other technology solutions, including investments in incremental upgrades to our enterprise-wide resource planning systems, to simplify our customer propositions and to optimize the supply chain and branch network to be more efficient and to deliver a more efficient business for our customers.

The cost and potential problems and interruptions associated with these initiatives could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our online and in-store operations in the near term, lead to product availability issues and negatively affect our relationship with our customers. Furthermore, accomplishing these initiatives will require a substantial investment in additional information technology associates and other specialized associates. We may face significant competition in the market for these resources and may not be successful in our hiring efforts. Failure to choose the right investments and implement them in the right manner and at the right pace could adversely affect our relationship with customers, our reputation, the demand for our products and solutions, and our market share. In addition, our branch and omni-channel initiatives, enhanced supply chain, and new or upgraded information technology systems might not provide the anticipated benefits and could impose substantial capital expenditures. It might take longer than expected to realize the anticipated benefits, cost more than budgeted, or all or part of the initiatives might fail altogether, each of which could adversely impact our competitive position and our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, dispositions and other business combinations or strategic transactions involve a number of risks, any of which could result in the benefits anticipated not being realized and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Acquisitions are an important part of our growth model and we regularly consider and enter into strategic transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, investments and other growth, market and geographic expansion strategies, with the expectation that these transactions will result in increases in sales, profits, cost savings, synergies and various other benefits.

During fiscal 2024, 2023, and 2022, we completed a total of 10, 8, and 17 acquisitions, respectively. We may not realize any anticipated benefits from such transactions or partnerships, or any future ones, and we may be exposed to additional liabilities and risks from any acquired business or joint venture (including but not limited to risks associated with cybersecurity incidents, unknown claims and disputes by third parties against the companies we acquire, and business disruption related to inability to retain associates of the acquired entity). In addition, we may be exposed to litigation in connection with our acquisition and partnership transactions. Our due diligence investigations may fail to identify all of the problems, liabilities or other challenges associated with an acquired business which could result in an increased risk of unanticipated or unknown issues or liabilities, including with respect to environmental, competition and other regulatory matters, and our mitigation strategies for such risks that are identified may not be effective. Furthermore, we may have trouble identifying suitable acquisition targets in the future or the targets we identify and pursue may not result in the realization of the benefits we expect or any benefit at all.

Our ability to deliver the expected benefits from any strategic transactions that we do complete is subject to numerous uncertainties and risks, including our acquisition assumptions; our ability to integrate personnel, labor models, financials, customer relationships, supply chain and logistics, IT and other systems successfully; business culture incompatibility; disruption of our ongoing business and distraction of management; hiring additional management and other critical personnel; product quality compliance of new suppliers; and increasing the scope, geographic diversity and complexity of our operations.

Effective internal controls are necessary to provide reliable and accurate financial reports, and the integration of businesses may create complexity in our financial systems and internal controls and make them more difficult to manage. Integration of businesses into our internal control system could cause us to fail to meet our financial reporting obligations. Moreover, any failure to integrate, or delay in integrating, IT systems of acquired businesses could create an increased risk of cybersecurity incidents. Additionally, any impairment of goodwill or other assets acquired in a strategic transaction or charges to earnings associated with any strategic transaction, may materially reduce our profitability. Following integration, an acquired business may not produce the expected margins or cash flows. Our shareholders, vendors or customers may react unfavorably to substantial strategic transactions. Furthermore, we may finance these strategic transactions by incurring additional debt or issuing equity, which could increase leverage or impact our ability to access capital in the future.

If we fail to qualify for supplier rebates or are unable to maintain or adequately renegotiate our rebate arrangements, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Many of our products are purchased pursuant to rebate arrangements that entitle us to receive a rebate based on specified purchases. Some arrangements require us to purchase minimum quantities and result in higher rebates with increased quantities of purchases. These rebates effectively reduce the costs of our products, and we manage our business to take advantage of these programs. Rebate arrangements are subject to renegotiation with our suppliers from time to time. In addition, consolidation of suppliers may result in the reduction or elimination of rebate programs in which we participate. If we fail to qualify for these rebates or are unable to renew rebate programs on desirable terms, or a supplier materially reduces or stops offering rebates, our costs could materially increase, and our gross margins and net income could be materially adversely affected.

If we are unable to protect our sensitive data and information systems against data corruption, cybersecurity incidents or network security breaches, or if we are unable to provide adequate security in the electronic transmission of sensitive data, it could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may face global cybersecurity threats, which may range from uncoordinated individual attempts to sophisticated and targeted measures, known as advanced persistent threats, directed at us and our customers, suppliers, and service providers. Cybersecurity incidents and network security breaches may include, but are not limited to, attempts to access or unauthorized access of information, exploitation of vulnerabilities (including those of third-party software or systems), computer viruses, ransomware, denial of service (“DoS”) and other electronic security breaches. Cyber-attacks from computer hackers and cyber criminals and other malicious internet-based activity continue to increase generally, and our services and systems, including the systems of our outsourced service providers, have been and may in the future continue to be the target of various forms of cybersecurity incidents such as Domain Name System attacks, wireless network attacks, viruses and worms, malicious software, ransomware, application centric attacks, peer-to-peer attacks, business email compromises and phishing attempts, backdoor trojans and distributed DoS attacks. Furthermore, given that new technologies continue to emerge, the methods used by computer hackers and cyber criminals to obtain unauthorized access to data or to sabotage computer systems change frequently and continue to grow in sophistication. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate or detect such attacks or promptly and effectively respond to them. For example, the rapid evolution of AI and machine learning technologies and the implementation of pilot programs integrating generative AI into both our internal and external-facing systems may intensify our cybersecurity risks.

While we have instituted safeguards for the protection of our information systems and believe we use reputable third-party service providers, during the normal course of business, we and our service providers have experienced and expect to continue to experience cyber-attacks on our information systems, and we and our service providers may be unable to protect sensitive data and/or the integrity of our information systems. A cybersecurity incident could be caused by malicious third parties using sophisticated methods to circumvent firewalls, encryption and other security defenses. Techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until they have been launched against a target. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures.

As a result, we or our service providers could experience errors, interruptions, delays, or cessations of service in key portions of our information technology infrastructure, which could significantly disrupt our operations and be costly, time-consuming and resource-intensive to remedy. As a result, we could forego net sales or profit margins if we are unable to operate. Furthermore, if critical information systems fail or otherwise become unavailable, our ability to process orders, maintain proper levels of inventories, collect accounts receivable and disburse funds could be adversely affected. Any such interruption of our information systems could also subject us to additional costs. Loss of customer, supplier, associate, or other business information could disrupt operations, damage our reputation, and expose us to claims from customers, suppliers, financial institutions, regulators, payment card associations, associates, and others, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For further information on our cybersecurity risk management and governance, see Part I, Item 1C of this Annual Report.

We are required to maintain the privacy and security of personal information in compliance with U.S. and certain international privacy and data protection regulations. Failure to meet the requirements could harm our business and damage our reputation with customers, suppliers, and associates.

We rely on IT systems, networks, products, and services, some of which are managed by service providers to protect our information. Increased information security threats and more sophisticated threat actors pose a risk to our information security program. Additionally, we collect, store, and process personal information relating to our customers, suppliers, and associates. This information is increasingly subject to a variety of U.S. and international laws and regulations that are constantly changing and becoming more complex, such as the General Data Protection Regulation, as enacted in the European Union and the U.K., Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, and the California Consumer Privacy Act (the “CCPA”). These laws and regulations may carry significant potential penalties for non-compliance. For example, in the U.S. the CCPA, which came into effect in January 2020, has given California consumers more control over the personal information that businesses collect about them. The law created new data privacy rights for California consumers and requires certain businesses who collect personal information from California consumers to comply with various data protection requirements. Further, in November 2020, the California Privacy Rights Act (the “CPRA”) was voted into law by California residents. The CPRA, which became enforceable in July 2023, significantly amends the CCPA and imposes additional data protection obligations on companies doing business in California, including additional consumer rights processes and opt outs for certain uses of sensitive data. It also creates a new California data protection agency specifically tasked to enforce the law, which could result in increased regulatory scrutiny of businesses conducting activities in California in the areas of data protection and security. Businesses like ours that are subject to the CCPA who fail to comply with the CCPA may be subject to fines and penalties per incident of non-compliance and class action lawsuits in the event of a data breach of sensitive personal information. Other U.S. states continue to enact or are proposing or have enacted similar laws related to the protection of consumer personal information.

Data privacy and data protection laws and regulations are typically intended to protect the privacy of personal information that is collected, processed, transmitted, and stored in or from the governing jurisdiction. In many cases, these laws apply not only to third-party transactions, but also to transfers of information between a company and its subsidiaries, including associate information. While we have invested and continue to invest significant resources to comply with data privacy regulations, many of these regulations are new, complex, and subject to interpretation. To maintain compliance with these laws, we may incur increased costs to continually evaluate and modify our policies and processes and to adapt to new legal and regulatory requirements. Non-compliance with these laws could result in negative publicity, damage to our reputation, penalties, or significant legal liability. Our business and operations could also be adversely affected if legislation or regulations are expanded to require changes in our business practices or if governing jurisdictions interpret or implement their legislation or regulations in ways that negatively affect our business.

A failure of a key information technology system or process could adversely affect the operations of our business.

Technology systems and data are fundamental to the operations, future growth and success of our business. In managing our business, we rely on the integrity and security of, and consistent access to, data from these systems such as sales, customer data, merchandise ordering, inventory replenishment and order fulfillment. A major disruption of the information technology systems and their backup mechanisms may cause us to incur significant costs to repair the systems, experience a critical loss of data and/or result in business interruptions.

For these information technology systems and processes to operate effectively, we rely on our service providers to continue to support and maintain them. Furthermore, we must retain and recruit information technology associates and other specialized associates that can operate, maintain and update these systems. In addition, our systems and the third-party systems on which we rely are subject to damage or interruption from a number of causes, including: power outages; infrastructure or network failures; aging of technology assets; computer and telecommunications failures; cybersecurity incidents, including the use of ransomware; catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters; a pandemic or epidemic outbreak or resurgence; acts of war or terrorism; and design or usage errors by our associates, contractors or service providers. We and our service providers seek to maintain our respective systems effectively and to successfully address the risk of compromise of the integrity, security and consistent operations of these systems, utilizing all reasonable and appropriate means available. However, such efforts may not be successful.

We rely on data centers and other technologies and services provided by third parties in order to manage our cloud-based infrastructure and operate our business. If any of these services becomes unavailable or otherwise is unable to serve our requirements due to extended outages, interruptions, facility closure, or because it is no longer available on commercially reasonable terms, expenses could increase and our operations could be disrupted or otherwise impacted until appropriate substitute services, if available, are identified, obtained, and implemented, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Furthermore, while we regularly evaluate potential upgrades and enhancements to our information technology systems and processes, we may be unable to make such upgrades on a timely basis or at all due to a lack of specialized associates or insufficient resources. Aging technology may inhibit our efficiency and future growth as well as increase the likelihood of system interruption or failure.

We are subject to payment-related risks that could increase our selling, general and administrative expenses, expose us to fraud or theft, subject us to potential liability, and potentially disrupt our business.

We accept payments using a variety of methods, including cash, checks, credit and debit cards, PayPal and electronic payments, and we may offer new payment options over time. Acceptance of these payment options subjects us to rules, regulations, contractual obligations and compliance requirements, including payment network rules and operating guidelines, data security standards and certification requirements, and rules governing electronic funds transfers. These requirements may change over time or be reinterpreted, making compliance more difficult or costly. For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time and raise our selling, general and administrative expenses. We rely on third parties to provide payment processing services, including the processing of credit cards, debit cards, and other forms of electronic payment. If these companies become unable to provide these services to us, or if their systems are compromised, it could potentially disrupt our business.

The payment methods that we offer also subject us to potential fraud and theft by criminals, who are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, seeking to obtain unauthorized access to or exploit weaknesses that may exist in the payment systems. If we fail to comply with applicable rules or requirements for the payment methods we accept, or if payment-related data is compromised due to a breach or misuse of data, we may be liable for costs incurred by payment card issuing banks and other third parties or be subject to fines and higher transaction fees, or our ability to accept or facilitate certain types of payments may be impaired. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in certain payment types, which may result in a shift to other payment types, potential changes to our payment systems that may result in higher costs, or loss of business. As a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Also, certain of our customers, suppliers or other third parties may seek to obtain products fraudulently from, or submit fraudulent invoices to, us. We have sought to put in place a number of processes and controls to minimize opportunities for fraud. However, if we are unsuccessful in detecting fraudulent activities, we could suffer loss directly and/or lose the confidence of our customers and/or suppliers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, our operations are working capital intensive, and our inventories, accounts receivable and accounts payable are significant components of our net asset base. We manage our inventories and accounts payable through our purchasing policies and our accounts receivable through our customer credit policies. We perform periodic credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition, and collateral is generally not required. We evaluate the collectability of accounts receivable based on numerous factors, including past transaction history with customers and their creditworthiness based on reports we receive from independent external credit bureaus, and we provide a reserve for accounts that we believe to be uncollectible. A significant deterioration in the economy, including as a result of any public health crisis or any geopolitical conflict could have an adverse effect on collecting our accounts receivable, including longer payment cycles, increased collection costs and defaults. In addition, if customers fail to pay within terms of our customer credit policies, we may enforce lien and bond rights, which could lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss. If we fail to adequately manage our product purchasing or customer credit policies, our working capital and financial condition may be adversely affected.

A public health crisis could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

A public health crisis, such as a pandemic or epidemic, and associated government restrictions to prevent its spread, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition as well as the operations of some of our suppliers. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in supply chain disruptions and caused significant disruption in the U.S. and Canadian economies, including due to the restrictive measures adopted to prevent its spread and general market unpredictability.

A widespread public health crisis may decrease demand for our products and solutions due to public reaction to the health crisis or actions taken by governmental or other regulatory organizations to control or otherwise limit the effects of the public health crisis. This crisis may also limit labor availability that could adversely impact manufacturing and distribution throughout the supply chain and limit the availability of product from our suppliers. Depending on the ultimate scope and duration of the supply chain disruptions, we may experience increases in product costs which we may not be able to pass on to our customers, loss of sales due to lack of product availability or potential customer claims from the inability to provide products in accordance with contractual terms. In addition, if significant numbers of associates, key personnel and/or senior management become unavailable due to sickness, legal requirements or self-isolation, our operations could be disrupted. Measures taken in response to a public health crisis could adversely impact our ability to retain and attract associates, including key personnel. While we are unable to predict the likelihood, timing, magnitude and duration of a public health crisis and the associated effects to our business, a public health crisis and any associated supply chain disruption, labor market impact, recession, or depression could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.

People, products and facilities

In order to compete, we must attract, retain and motivate key associates, and the failure to do so could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We believe the quality of our associates provides us with the capabilities and expertise to serve our customers better than our competitors do. Our ability to execute on this strategy depends, to a significant extent, on having an adequate number of qualified associates, including those in senior leadership, managerial, technical, sales, marketing and support positions. A failure to maintain an adequate number of associates with appropriate skill sets and talent could delay the execution of our operational strategies, result in loss of institutional knowledge and reduce our supply of future management skill.

Competition in our industry for both existing and new talent is significant. We experience pressure regarding increases to wages, more flexible work arrangements, including remote and hybrid work, and expanded benefit offerings. Moreover, in the past, we have experienced volatility in our stock price, and we may experience such volatility again in the future, which may make it more difficult and expensive to recruit and retain associates, particularly senior leadership, through equity-based compensation. While our retention rates have not changed materially, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, extended lead times in backfilling roles, due in part to changing workforce dynamics and the lack of a sufficient number of people qualified for skilled roles. Although we believe we generally offer competitive employment packages, we can provide no assurance that our efforts to attract and retain associates will be successful. Our failure to do so could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Attracting and retaining experienced, skilled associates must be balanced with managing overall labor costs. In addition to measures we take to remain attractive in a competitive labor market, other external factors such as changing workforce demographics, labor market related employment laws and regulations, and increased health and insurance costs adversely affect our labor costs. We may also on occasion be subject to labor union organization efforts which may impact cost and operational flexibility. If the tight labor market persists, this may increase our costs to maintain our workforce as well as negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure to achieve and maintain a high level of product and service quality and comply with responsible sourcing standards could damage our reputation and negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

To continue to be successful, we must continue to preserve, grow and leverage the value of our brand and our product brands in the marketplace. Reputational value is based in large part on perceptions of subjective qualities. Even an isolated incident, such as a high-profile product recall, or the aggregate effect of individually insignificant incidents, can erode trust and confidence, particularly if such incident or incidents result in adverse publicity, governmental investigations or litigation, and, as a result, could tarnish our brand and lead to adverse effects on our business.

In particular, product quality and service issues, including as a result of our suppliers’ or manufacturers’ acts or omissions, could negatively impact customer confidence in our product brands and our product portfolio. As we do not have direct control over the quality of the products manufactured or supplied by third-party suppliers, we are exposed to risks relating to the quality of the products we distribute. If our product or service offerings do not meet applicable safety standards or customers’ expectations regarding safety or quality or are alleged to have quality issues or to have caused personal injury or other damage, or our supplier does not meet our expectations on responsible sourcing outlined in our supplier code of conduct, we could experience lower net sales and increased costs and be exposed to legal, financial and reputational risks, as well as governmental enforcement actions. In addition, actual, potential or perceived product safety concerns could result in costly product recalls.

We seek to enter into contracts with suppliers which provide for indemnification from any costs associated with the provision of defective products. However, there can be no assurance that such contractual rights will be obtained or would be adequate, or that related indemnification claims will be successfully asserted by us. Moreover, our ability to recover damages from foreign sources of supply may be more difficult and expensive.

The nature of our operations may expose our associates, contractors, customers, suppliers and other individuals to health and safety risks and we may incur property, casualty or other losses not covered by our insurance policies and damage to our reputation.

The nature of our operations can expose our associates, contractors, customers, suppliers and other individuals, including the motoring public, to health and safety risks, which can lead to loss of life or severe injuries or illness. Such risks include, but are not limited to, potential exposure to public health crises, infectious diseases and viruses. Any such injuries, illness or loss of life could harm our reputation and reduce customer demand and expose us to the potential for litigation from third parties.

Although we maintain insurance we believe to be sufficient to cover estimated health and safety risks including product liability, health and safety in our operations, vehicle and driver related claims and other types of claims in various jurisdictions, there can be no assurance that such insurance will provide adequate coverage against potential claims. If we do not have adequate contractual indemnification or insurance available, such claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We occupy most of our facilities under non-cancelable leases with terms of 10 years or less. We may be unable to renew leases on favorable terms or at all. Also, when we close a facility, we may remain obligated under the applicable lease.

Most of our branches are located in leased premises. Many of our current leases are non-cancelable and typically have initial terms of around 5 to 10 years, with options to renew for specified periods of time. There can be no assurance that we will be able to renew our current or future leases on favorable terms or at all which could have an adverse effect on our ability to operate our business and on our results of operations. In addition, we make decisions to close certain facilities from time to time. When we close or cease to use a facility, we generally remain committed to perform our obligations under the applicable lease, which include, among other things, payment of the base rent for the balance of the lease term.

We have risks related to the management and protection of our facilities and inventory, including risks of personal injury to customers, suppliers or associates.

We have office, showroom, counter, warehouse and distribution facilities located in all regions in which we operate which may be at risk for criminal acts that could impact our operations, financial performance or reputation. No security or audit program is 100% effective. There is a risk that our security programs will not prevent the occurrences of break-ins, theft, property damage, and workplace violence, including violent criminal acts such as interpersonal violence or an active shooter or mass casualty/damage event. Moreover, such programs may not be implemented as intended. In the current climate of global and regional political uncertainty and social unrest, a security breach could result in significant facility damage or loss, loss of inventory or personal injury to customers, suppliers or associates. There is a risk that inventory controls and facility security will fail, resulting in inventory shrinkage or loss due to inadequate inventory tracking or misconduct of associates, customers, vendors or other third parties. Moreover, our inventory is located across our distribution facilities and branches, and the disaggregated nature of our inventory could result in a failure to accurately record the existence and condition of our inventory. Any such security incidents, inventory loss or failure to maintain accurate records related to our inventory could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or reputation.

Regulatory and legal

Changes in tax law or interpretations thereof could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various other countries globally. Changes in tax laws, regulations and treaties, or the interpretation thereof can and do occur. Significant judgment is required for determining the Company’s tax liabilities, and the Company’s tax returns are periodically examined by various tax authorities. The ultimate resolution of any tax matters may result in payments greater or less than amounts accrued, which could have a negative impact on our provision for income taxes. In addition, our future earnings and the value of our deferred tax assets and liabilities could be negatively impacted by further changes in tax legislation, including changes in tax rates, tax laws and changes in the rules for earnings repatriations in the U.S. or other countries. For example, the current U.S. presidential administration has proposed a higher U.S. federal corporate tax rate and increased taxation of offshore income. Further, in July and October 2021, the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework agreed on the general rules for redefined jurisdictional taxation rights and a global minimum tax. In December 2022, the European Union member states voted unanimously to adopt a Directive implementing the Pillar Two (global minimum tax) rules giving member states until December 31, 2023 to implement the Directive into national legislation. Certain jurisdictions in which we operate, under the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework, have enacted legislation that adopts a subset of such rules effective for tax years beginning after January 1, 2024, with the remaining rules becoming effective January 1, 2025. The application of tax law is subject to interpretation. Additionally, administrative guidance can be incomplete or vary from legislative intent, and therefore the application of the tax law is uncertain. While we believe the positions reported by the Company comply with relevant tax laws and regulations, we could be subject to tax audits and taxing authorities could interpret our application of certain laws and regulations differently. Future tax controversy matters may result in previously unrecorded tax expenses, higher future tax expenses or the assessment of interest and penalties which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, the location of tax residence of Ferguson (Jersey) Limited (f/k/a Ferguson plc) could be challenged. If such entity were to cease, or failed, to maintain its place of central management and control in the location of its tax residency, our ability to rely on specific tax treaty benefits could be impacted, potentially causing withholding taxes on dividends and interest payments made by certain of our subsidiaries to increase while taxes on certain unrealized gains could possibly be imposed.

Our tax expenses and liabilities are also affected by factors other than changes in law, such as changes in our business operations, acquisitions, investments, entry into new businesses and geographies, intercompany transactions, the relative amount of our foreign earnings, losses incurred in jurisdictions for which we are not able to realize related tax benefits, the applicability of special or extraterritorial tax regimes, changes in foreign exchange rates, changes in our stock price, changes to our forecasts of income and loss and the mix of jurisdictions to which they relate, and changes in our tax assets and liabilities and their valuation. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Significant judgment is required in evaluating and estimating our tax expenses, assets, and liabilities.

Our own brand products subject us to certain increased risks such as regulatory, product liability and reputational risks that could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

As we expand our own brand product offerings organically and through acquisitions, we may become subject to increased risks due to our greater role in the design, sourcing, marketing and sale of those products. The risks include greater responsibility to administer and comply with applicable regulatory requirements, increased potential product liability and product recall exposure, and increased potential legal and reputational risks related to the responsible sourcing of those products. To effectively execute on our own brand product differentiation strategy, we must also be able to successfully protect our proprietary rights and successfully navigate and avoid claims related to the proprietary rights of third parties. In addition, an increase in sales of our own brand products may adversely affect sales of our suppliers’ products, which in turn could adversely affect our relationships with certain of our suppliers. Further, the development of our own brand products may require us to make investments in specialized personnel and operating systems, increase marketing efforts and reallocate resources away from other uses. Any failure to appropriately address some or all of these risks could damage our reputation and have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are and may continue to be involved in legal proceedings in the course of our business, and while we cannot predict the outcomes of those proceedings and other contingencies with certainty, some of these outcomes may adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are and may continue to be involved in legal proceedings such as negligence, consumer and employment and other litigation that arises from time to time in the course of our business. In future periods, we could be subject to cash costs or non-cash charges to earnings if any of these litigation matters are resolved on unfavorable terms, or if our estimates regarding legal provisions accounting or our insurance coverage are incorrect. Shareholders are also able to pursue derivative actions on behalf of the Company, for, among other things, alleged breaches of fiduciary duties by our directors and officers. If we face such litigation, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s resources and attention, which could harm our business and the value of our common stock.

Litigation is inherently unpredictable, and the outcome of some of these proceedings and other contingencies could require us to take or refrain from taking actions which could adversely impact the business or could result in excessive verdicts. Any such outcome could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, involvement in these lawsuits and related inquiries and other proceedings may involve significant expense, divert management’s attention and resources from other matters, and negatively affect our reputation.

Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters, could significantly affect our financial results or financial condition.

Accounting standards and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business, such as revenue recognition and net sales, asset impairment, impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, inventories, lease obligations, self-insurance, tax matters, pensions and litigation, are complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments. Changes in accounting standards or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions and estimates or judgments could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance or financial condition.

We are subject to various risks related to the local and international nature of our business, including domestic and foreign laws, regulations and standards. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations or the occurrence of unforeseen developments such as litigation, investigations, governmental proceedings or enforcement actions could adversely affect our business.

Our business operates in the U.S. and Canada and is subject to specific risks of conducting business in different jurisdictions across these countries and other parts of the world, including Barbados, China, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, U.K. and Vietnam. Our business is subject to a wide array of domestic and international laws, regulations and standards in jurisdictions where we operate, including advertising and marketing regulations, anti-bribery and corruption/money laundering laws, anti-competition regulations, data privacy and data protection (including payment card industry data security standards) and cybersecurity requirements (including protection of information and incident responses), occupational health and safety regulations, consumer product safety regulations, consumer protection laws, cash and electronic payment regulations and industry standards, environmental protection laws, foreign exchange controls and cash repatriation restrictions, government business regulations applicable to us as a government contractor selling to federal, state and local government entities, import and export requirements, intellectual property laws, labor laws, product compliance laws, fleet and driver related laws, supplier regulations regarding the sources of supplies or products, tax laws, zoning laws, unclaimed property laws and laws, regulations and standards applicable to other commercial matters. Moreover, we are also subject to audits and inquiries by government agencies in the normal course of business. These laws, regulations and standards are often complex, subject to change and subject to varying interpretations, and compliance therewith may be subject to varying degrees of scrutiny. Moreover, we are also subject to audits and inquiries by government agencies in the normal course of business.

In recent years, a number of new laws and regulations have been adopted, and there has been expanded enforcement of certain existing laws and regulations by federal, state and local agencies. These laws and regulations, and related interpretations and enforcement activity, may change as a result of a variety of factors, including political, economic or social events. For example, in recent years, there has been a steady increase in antitrust enforcement activity. The change in the U.S. presidential administration and possible congressional seat turnover as a result of the 2024 election cycle may result in increased regulatory uncertainty. Any changes in, expanded enforcement of, or adoption of new federal, state or local laws and regulations could increase our costs of doing business or impact our operations, including, among other factors, as a result of required investments in technology and the development of new operational processes.

Failure to comply with any of these laws, regulations and standards could result in civil, criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties as well as potential damage to our reputation. Furthermore, while we have implemented policies and procedures designed to facilitate compliance with these laws, regulations and standards, there can be no assurance that associates, contractors or agents will not violate such laws, regulations and standards or our policies. Any failure to comply with or violation of the various laws, regulations and standards to which we are subject could individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Ownership of Shares of our Common Stock

The obligations associated with being a public company require significant resources and management attention and result in significant legal and financial compliance costs, and changing laws, regulations and standards are creating uncertainty for public companies.

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), the listing requirements of the NYSE and LSE, the Market Abuse Regulation, Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules and other applicable securities rules and regulations. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual and other reports with respect to our business, financial condition and results of operations. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. Any failure to maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered implementing required new or improved controls could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and the trading price of our common stock.

In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance, ESG matters, and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, as well as certain legal challenges, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies or as pending or future litigation is resolved. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We have invested, and expect to continue to invest, resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased operating expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from sales-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, or differ from new legal interpretations resulting from related litigation, regulatory authorities or others may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow could be adversely affected.

Corporate responsibility, specifically related to ESG matters, may impose additional costs and expose us to new risks.

Public ESG and sustainability reporting is becoming more broadly expected by regulators, investors, shareholders and other third parties. Ongoing focus on ESG matters by investors, customers and other parties as described below may impose additional costs or expose us to new risks. Moreover, stakeholder expectations and standards on ESG matters continue to evolve and may diverge. If we do not adapt to or comply with such investor, customer or other stakeholder expectations, or if we are perceived to have not responded appropriately or quickly enough to growing concern for ESG and sustainability issues, regardless of whether there is a regulatory or legal requirement to do so, we may suffer from reputational damage or be precluded from doing business with certain customers and our business, financial condition and/or the market price of our common stock could be materially and adversely affected.

Certain organizations that provide corporate governance and other corporate risk information to investors and shareholders have developed, and others may in the future develop, scores and ratings to evaluate companies and investment funds based upon ESG or sustainability metrics. Many investment funds focus on positive ESG business practices and sustainability scores when making investments and may consider a company’s ESG or sustainability scores as a reputational or other factor in making an investment decision. In addition, investors, particularly institutional investors, use these scores to benchmark companies against their peers, and if a company is perceived as lagging, these investors may engage with such company to improve ESG disclosure or performance and may also make voting decisions or take other actions to hold these corporations and their boards of directors accountable. I&D and climate change ESG topics have, in particular, received heightened attention from investors, shareholders, lawmakers and listing exchanges. We may face reputational damage in the event our corporate responsibility initiatives or objectives, including with respect to I&D or climate matters, do not meet the standards set by our regulators, investors, shareholders, lawmakers, listing exchanges or other constituencies, or if we are unable to achieve an acceptable ESG or sustainability rating from third-party rating services. A low ESG or sustainability rating by a third-party rating service could also result in certain customers purchasing competing products as well as the exclusion of our common stock from consideration by certain investors who may elect to invest with our competition instead.

In addition, as we continue to align with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, and our own ESG assessments and priorities, we have expanded and, in the future, may continue to expand our disclosures in these areas. These ESG reporting disclosure frameworks and reporting standards continue to evolve. Our selection of disclosure frameworks and reporting standards and information voluntarily disclosed may change from time to time and may result in a lack of consistent or meaningful comparative data from period to period, as well as significant revisions to ESG goals, initiatives, commitments, or objectives or reported progress in achieving the same. Our failure to report accurately or achieve progress on our ESG-related goals, targets or metrics on a timely basis, or at all, could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations. Statements regarding our ESG-related goals reflect our current plans and aspirations; our ESG-related policies, practices and goals are voluntary and subject to change at our discretion. Further, our ESG and I&D-related initiatives and goals may not be favored by certain stakeholders, whose priorities and expectations may not align or may be opposed to one another, which could result in public scrutiny or reputational damage, and could impact the attraction and retention of investors, customers and employees. Efforts to achieve our initiatives and goals, including collecting, measuring and reporting ESG information, involve operational, reputational, financial, legal and other risks and may result in additional costs or delays, and as a result may have a negative impact on us, including our brand, reputation and the market price of our common stock.

The price of our common stock may be subject to market price volatility and its market price may decline disproportionately in response to developments that are unrelated to our operating performance.

The market price of our shares has been and may in the future be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors including, but not limited to, general global and regional economic and political conditions, period to period variations in operating results, changes in net sales or net income estimates by us, industry participants or financial analysts, our failure to meet our stated guidance, our failure to comply with the rules under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act related to accounting controls and procedures, changes in our capital allocation policy, the discovery of material weaknesses and other deficiencies in our internal control and accounting procedures, and the other factors discussed in this Item 1A. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, when required, investor confidence in us may be adversely affected and, as a result, the value of our common stock may decline.

Furthermore, while the Company is expected to maintain a standard listing on the LSE in addition to its primary listing on the NYSE, there may be volatility in our share price as a result of the turnover in our shareholder base to the U.S. following the Merger. In addition, the market price of our common stock could also be adversely affected by developments unrelated to our operating performance, such as the operating and share price performance of other companies that investors may consider comparable to us, speculation about us in the press or the investment community, unfavorable press, strategic actions by competitors (including acquisitions and restructurings), changes in market conditions, regulatory changes, broader market volatility and movements and delay in our inclusion in North American indices. Any or all of these factors could result in material fluctuations in the market price of our common stock, which could lead to investors getting back less than they invested or a total loss of their investment. In addition, where the market price of a company’s shares have been volatile, the shareholders of such company may file securities class action litigation against that company based on various claims such as securities fraud and other violations of securities laws. While we have not been a target of this type of litigation, we may be in the future. The defense and disposition of litigation of this type could result in substantial costs and divert resources and the time and attention of our management, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Ferguson Enterprises Inc. (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the “Court of Chancery”) will be the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between the Company and its stockholders, which could limit its stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with the Company or its directors, officers, employees, agents or stockholders.

The Certificate of Incorporation provides that, subject to certain exceptions, the Court of Chancery will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a duty (including any fiduciary duty) by, or other wrongdoing by, any current or former director, officer, employee, agent or stockholder of the Company to the Company or its stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Company or any current or former director, officer, employee, agent or stockholder of the Company arising out of or relating to any provision of Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), the Certificate of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws of Ferguson Enterprises Inc. (the “Bylaws”), (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws, (v) any action asserting a claim against the Company or any current or former director, officer, employee, agent or stockholder of the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine, (vi) any action asserting an “internal corporate claim” as that term is defined in Section 115 of the DGCL or (vii) any action as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery. In addition, to prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, the Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the U.S. will be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), against the Company or any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company.

These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the Company or its directors, officers, employees, agents or stockholders and this limitation may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits or make our securities less attractive to investors. For example, stockholders who bring a claim in the Court of Chancery could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near the State of Delaware. The Court of Chancery may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to the Company than to its stockholders.

It should also be noted that Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. Due to such concurrent jurisdiction, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce the exclusive forum provision in the Certificate of Incorporation in respect of causes of action arising under the Securities Act against the Company or any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring such a claim arising under the Securities Act against the Company, its directors, officers, employees, agents or stockholders in a venue other than in the federal district courts of the U.S. In such instance, the Company would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and we cannot assure you that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. If a court were to find the exclusive-forum provisions in the Certificate of Incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur further significant additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, all of which could harm our business.

The Certificate of Incorporation provides that any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of capital stock of the Company shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the exclusive forum provisions described above. However, these exclusive forum provisions may not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, such as those created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

Risk Management and Strategy

We recognize the importance of assessing, identifying, and managing material risks associated with cybersecurity threats. We maintain a strategic plan to protect our information and to manage and mitigate emerging cybersecurity threats. Our cybersecurity team, led by our Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”), oversees our cybersecurity efforts on a day-to-day basis. Our cybersecurity team, in partnership with third parties, designs, implements and operates our data security and cybersecurity programs, risk assessments, monitoring procedures, and training programs for our associates.

Cybersecurity risk management is integrated into our overall enterprise risk management program (“ERM Program”) and our cybersecurity, legal, infrastructure, privacy and other cross-functional teams work together to evaluate and address cybersecurity risks in alignment with our business objectives and operational needs. Cybersecurity risk management is also integrated into our broader risk management framework through information technology general controls that are independently tested by our Internal Audit team and the findings reported to the Audit Committee.

As part of our cybersecurity risk management and strategy, the Company invests in processes, resources and incremental technical defenses to help prevent, identify, escalate, investigate, resolve, and recover from identified vulnerabilities and security incidents in a timely manner. We have enterprise-level compliance processes, policies and insurance coverage in place, including related to data protection and cybersecurity. We utilize the ISO 27001:2022 information security standard to drive our risk assessment and to identify and prioritize technology and process investments. Additionally, Ferguson maintains a Security Operations Center (“SOC”) with enterprise event visibility.

The Company maintains a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan (“CIRP”) that establishes a foundation for capture, containment, escalation, and response to cybersecurity events across the Company. The CIRP details how the Company, including the SOC and cybersecurity team, prioritize and respond to cybersecurity events and incidents, including when and how incidents are escalated to key members of management who in turn determine whether further escalation to the Audit Committee or Board is appropriate. The CIRP also includes actions designed to enhance processes and responsiveness to address and prevent future incidents.

Ferguson invests in associate training and education to prevent cyber attacks, including customized, role-based training provided to targeted internal audiences. In addition, we conduct periodic awareness campaigns and regular phishing email simulation tests to reinforce prior training and promote ongoing awareness of risks. We also periodically conduct tabletop exercises with management and other associates to practice cyber incident response and to improve our processes and strategies.

In addition, Ferguson regularly engages with independent third-party partners, including cybersecurity assessors, consultants, and auditors, to assess and consult on our cybersecurity capabilities, prioritize areas of risk and assist with execution of our risk management systems and strategic plans. Our collaboration with these third parties includes regular audits, threat assessments, and consultation on security enhancements. To mitigate data or security incidents that may originate from third-party suppliers, we have a third-party risk management program that works to classify service provider or business partner risk based on several factors, including but not limited to data type accessed and/or retained. Using a risk-based approach, we perform diligence and security risk assessments for certain vendors and service providers, including appropriate obligations in our contractual arrangements where applicable.

As of the date of this Annual Report, cybersecurity incidents and risks, separately or in aggregate, have not materially affected our business strategy, results of operations, and financial condition. However, we face ongoing risks from cybersecurity threats and there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures, and those of our third-party vendors, will prevent breakdowns or incidents to our or our third-party vendors’ systems that could adversely affect our business. See “Risk Factors—If we are unable to protect our sensitive data and information systems against data corruption, cybersecurity incidents or network security breaches, or if we are unable to provide adequate security in the electronic transmission of sensitive data, it could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations” and “—A failure of a key information technology system or process could adversely affect the operations of our business” in Item 1A of this Annual Report for more information on our cybersecurity-related risks.

Governance

Role of the Board

Our Board is ultimately responsible for the risk oversight of the Company, including risks from cybersecurity threats. The Board has delegated to the Audit Committee responsibility for monitoring the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the ERM Program, and the Audit Committee is specifically charged with discussing the Company’s cybersecurity risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control these exposures. The Board and/or the Audit Committee receives periodic reports, briefings and presentations on data protection and cybersecurity matters from senior information technology leaders, including our Chief Digital and Information Officer (“CDIO”) and CISO, as well as from our Internal Audit team. In addition, our Chief Legal Officer provides reports on the ERM Program. Periodically, our Board receives reports and/or presentations on cybersecurity matters prepared by third-party cybersecurity experts. In addition to these Board and Audit Committee updates, our CIRP provides that significant developments or incidents, even if immaterial to the Company, will be reviewed regularly by a cross-functional team to determine whether further escalation to the Audit Committee or Board is appropriate, enabling Audit Committee and Board oversight that is timely and responsive.

Role of Management

Pursuant to our ERM Program charter, our Executive Committee is responsible for assessing and managing the Company’s exposure to enterprise risks. The Executive Committee is composed of the CEO and his direct reports, including the CDIO. Our CISO and the cybersecurity teams are primarily responsible for identifying, assessing, monitoring and managing our cybersecurity threats. They receive information regarding cybersecurity incidents and threats from the SOC and through internal escalation procedures detailed in the CIRP. The CISO then provides periodic reports to the Executive Committee, including reporting on significant cybersecurity incidents and resulting remedial actions, the cybersecurity team’s strategic plan, the results of associate trainings, and any other notable cybersecurity matters.

Our CISO has 25 years of industry experience, including in developing and leading cybersecurity risk management programs for Fortune 100 companies. Additionally, our CISO and members of the cybersecurity team hold a number of industry recognized certifications, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Internal Security Assessor, Certified Information Security Manager, Certified in Risk and Information Systems control, and Certified Ethical Hacker, among others.

The Company’s corporate headquarters and management office are located at 751 Lakefront Commons, Newport News, Virginia, 23606. We believe our facilities are maintained in good operating condition and sufficient to meet our present operating needs.

The following table presents our principal facilities as of July 31, 2024:

(1) Includes one owned building on leased land.

The Company is from time to time a party to various lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. With respect to such lawsuits, claims and proceedings, the Company records reserves when it is probable a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company does not expect any of its pending legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. In accordance with Item 103 of Regulation S-K, we have adopted a $1 million disclosure threshold for certain proceedings under environmental laws to which a governmental authority is a party, as we believe matters under this threshold are not material to the Company. The Company maintains liability insurance for certain risks that are subject to certain self-insurance limits.

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations (“MD&A”) is intended to convey management’s perspective regarding the Company’s operational and financial performance and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in this Annual Report. The discussion in this Annual Report generally focuses on fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023. A discussion of our results of operations and changes in financial condition for fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022 has been excluded from this report, but can be found in Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations of the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Ferguson plc with the SEC on September 26, 2023 for fiscal 2023.

The following discussion contains trend information and forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements, as well as from our historical performance, due to various factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed in the “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factor Summary” sections and elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Overview

Ferguson is a value-added distributor serving the specialized professional in the residential and non-residential North American construction market. We help make our customers’ complex projects simple, successful and sustainable by providing expertise and a wide range of products and services from plumbing, HVAC, appliances, and lighting to PVF, water and wastewater solutions, and more. Ferguson is headquartered and managed in Newport News, Virginia with its operations and associates solely focused on North America.

The following table presents highlights of our annual performance:

(In millions, except per share amounts)

(1) The Company uses certain non-GAAP measures, which are not defined or specified under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). See the section titled “Non-GAAP Reconciliations and Supplementary Information.”

For fiscal 2024, net sales decreased by 0.3%, primarily driven by price deflation of approximately 2%, mainly within certain commodity categories, and to a lesser extent, lower sales volume. These decreases were partially offset by incremental sales from acquisitions and the benefit of one additional sales day in fiscal 2024 compared with fiscal 2023.

For fiscal 2024, operating profit decreased 0.3% (adjusted operating profit decreased 3.2%) compared to fiscal 2023. The year-over-year decline was primarily due to higher operating costs driven by inflation, partially offset by not having the software impairment and other charges recorded in fiscal 2023.

For fiscal 2024, diluted earnings per share was $8.53 (adjusted diluted earnings per share: $9.69), decreasing 6.5% compared with the prior year due to lower net income and the impact of one-time, non-cash deferred tax charges of $137 million in fiscal 2024 in connection with the Merger, partially offset by not having the software impairment and other charges recorded in fiscal 2023, as well as the impact of share repurchases. Adjusted diluted earnings per share decreased 1.5%, primarily due to the lower adjusted operating profit, partially offset by the impact of the Company’s share repurchases.

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased to $1.9 billion for fiscal 2024 compared with $2.7 billion for fiscal 2023, primarily reflecting lower net income after adjusting for non-cash items, as well as higher working capital with inventory levels stabilizing in line with customer demand. During fiscal 2024, the Company invested $260 million in acquisitions and $372 million in capital expenditures to meet the Company’s strategic objectives.

Results of Operations

The table below summarizes the Company’s consolidated statements of earnings for the periods indicated.

(In millions)

Net sales

Net sales were $29.6 billion in fiscal 2024, a decrease of $0.1 billion, or 0.3%, compared with the same period in 2023. The decrease in net sales was primarily driven by price deflation of approximately 2%, mainly within certain commodity categories, and to a lesser extent, lower sales volume, as well as the impact of foreign currency exchange rates of 0.1%. These decreases were partially offset by incremental sales from acquisitions of 1.8% and the benefit of an additional sales day of 0.4% in the year-over-year comparison. The Company’s decrease in sales was primarily driven by lower year-over-year sales in the United States residential markets.

Gross profit

Gross profit was $9.1 billion in fiscal 2024 and approximately flat compared with fiscal 2023. Gross profit as a percent of sales was 30.5% in fiscal 2024 compared with 30.4% in the prior year with the increase reflecting favorable product mix, partially offset by price deflation in net sales within certain commodity categories.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”)

SG&A expenses in fiscal 2024 increased $146 million, or 2.5%, compared with fiscal 2023. SG&A as a percentage of sales was 20.5% and 19.9% in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023, respectively. The increase in SG&A as a percent of sales primarily reflects the impact of wage and infrastructure cost inflation, corporate restructuring costs and the impact of acquisitions.

Net interest expense

Net interest expense was $179 million in fiscal 2024 compared with $184 million in fiscal 2023. The decrease in net interest expense was primarily due to lower average borrowings in fiscal 2024.

Income tax expense

Income tax expense was $729 million for fiscal 2024, an increase of $154 million compared with fiscal 2023. The Company’s effective tax rate was 29.6% for fiscal 2024 compared with 23.3% for fiscal 2023. The increase in income tax expense and the increase in the effective tax rate were primarily driven by one-time, non-cash deferred tax charges of $137 million due to the elimination of certain pre-existing U.K. tax attributes of the Company as part of the Merger.

Net income

Net income for fiscal 2024 was $1.7 billion, a decrease of $154 million, or 8.2%, compared with fiscal 2023 due to the elements described in the sections above.

Segment results of operations for fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023

The Company’s reportable segments are the United States and Canada based on how the Company manages its business and allocates resources, which is on a geographical basis. The Company’s measure of segment profit is adjusted operating profit which is defined as profit before tax, excluding central and other costs, restructuring costs, amortization of acquired intangible assets, net interest expenses, as well as other items typically recorded in net other (expense) income such as (loss)/gain on disposal of businesses, pension plan changes/closure costs and amounts recorded in connection with the Company’s interests in investees. For further segment information, see Note 2, Revenue and segment information of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

United States

(In millions)

Net sales for the United States segment were $28.2 billion in fiscal 2024, a decrease of $0.1 billion, or 0.3%, compared with the prior year. The decrease in net sales was primarily driven by price deflation of approximately 2%, mainly within certain commodity categories, and to a lesser extent, lower sales volume. These decreases were partially offset by incremental sales from acquisitions of 1.7% and the benefit of one additional sales day of 0.4% in the year-over-year comparison. Net sales in the residential markets decreased by 2.4%, driven by lower sales in new construction reflecting housing starts and permit activity that were below prior year levels, as well as lower sales in RMI. Net sales growth in the non-residential markets, was 1.9%, with growth in the civil/infrastructure and commercial markets.

Adjusted operating profit in the United States was $2.8 billion, a decrease of $0.1 billion, or 2.5%, compared with the prior year, primarily reflecting the impact of wage and infrastructure cost inflation.

Canada

(In millions)

Net sales for the Canada segment were $1,440 million in fiscal 2024, a decrease of $3 million, or 0.2%, compared with the prior year. This decrease in net sales was primarily due to lower sales volumes, as well as a 1.3% unfavorable impact from foreign currency exchange rates. These impacts were partially offset by incremental sales from acquisitions of 2.7%, price inflation of approximately 1% and the benefit of one additional sales day of 0.5%.

Adjusted operating profit for the Canada segment decreased compared with the prior year, primarily due to higher operating costs compared with the same period of prior year.

Non-GAAP Reconciliations and Supplementary Information

The Company reports its financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP. However, the Company believes certain non-GAAP financial measures provide users of the Company’s financial information with additional meaningful information to assist in understanding financial results and assessing the Company’s performance from period to period. These non-GAAP financial measures include adjusted operating profit, adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per share (“adjusted EPS”) - diluted. Management believes these measures are important indicators of operations because they exclude items that may not be indicative of our core operating results and provide a better baseline for analyzing trends in our underlying businesses, and they are consistent with how business performance is planned, reported and assessed internally by management and the Company’s Board of Directors. Such non-GAAP adjustments include amortization of acquired intangible assets, discrete tax items, and any other items that are non-recurring. Non-recurring items may include various restructuring charges, gains or losses on the disposals of businesses which by their nature do not reflect primary operations, as well as certain other items deemed non-recurring in nature and/or that are not a result of the Company’s primary operations. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies’ non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results reported under U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of operations that, when viewed with U.S. GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of the business. The Company strongly encourages investors and shareholders to review the Company’s financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

Reconciliation of net income to adjusted operating profit

The following table reconciles net income (U.S. GAAP) to adjusted operating profit (non-GAAP):

(In millions)

(1) For fiscal 2024, corporate restructuring costs related to incremental costs in connection with the Merger.

(2) For fiscal 2023, impairments and other charges related to the $107 million in software impairment charges and $18 million in charges associated with the closure of certain smaller, underperforming branches in the United States.

Reconciliation of net income to adjusted net income and adjusted EPS - diluted

The following table reconciles net income (U.S. GAAP) to adjusted net income and adjusted EPS - diluted (non-GAAP):

(In millions, except per share amounts)

(1) Per share on a dilutive basis.

(2) For fiscal 2024, corporate restructuring costs related to incremental costs in connection with the Merger.

(3) For fiscal 2023, impairments and other charges related to the $107 million in software impairment charges and $18 million in charges associated with the closure of certain smaller, underperforming branches in the United States.

(4) For fiscal 2024, discrete tax adjustments primarily related to one-time, non-cash deferred tax charges of $137 million, resulting from the elimination of certain pre-existing U.K. tax attributes as part of the Merger, partially offset by the release of uncertain tax positions, as well as the tax treatment of certain compensation items that were not individually significant. For fiscal 2023, discrete tax adjustments primarily related to the release of uncertain tax positions following the lapse of statute of limitations, as well as adjustments in connection with amended returns.

(5) For fiscal 2024, the tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments primarily related to the amortization of acquired intangibles. For fiscal 2023, the tax impact on non-GAAP adjustments primarily related to the impairments and other charges and amortization of acquired intangibles.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company believes its current cash position coupled with cash flow anticipated to be generated from operations and access to capital should be sufficient to meet its operating cash requirements for the next 12 months and will also enable the Company to invest and fund acquisitions, capital expenditures, dividend payments, share repurchases, required debt payments and other contractual obligations through the next several fiscal years. The Company also anticipates that it has the ability to obtain alternative sources of financing, if necessary.

Cash flows

As of July 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $571 million and $601 million, respectively. In addition to cash, the Company had $2.2 billion of available liquidity from undrawn debt facilities as of July 31, 2024.

As of July 31, 2024, the Company’s total debt was $3.9 billion. The Company anticipates that it will be able to meet its debt obligations as they become due.

Cash flows from operating activities

(In millions)

Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.9 billion in fiscal 2024 and $2.7 billion in fiscal 2023. This decrease was primarily driven by changes in inventory, along with the timing of receivables collections and lower net income in fiscal 2024 after adjusting for non-cash charges. In fiscal 2024, inventory levels have stabilized in line with customer demand compared to fiscal 2023 where inventory was decreasing to normalized levels following periods of supply chain disruption. These decreases in cash flow were partially offset by a net increase in payables, due to the timing of vendor payments.

Cash flows from investing activities

(In millions)

Net cash used in investing activities was $0.6 billion in fiscal 2024 compared with $1.1 billion in fiscal 2023.

Capital expenditure totaled $372 million and $441 million in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023, respectively. These investments were primarily for strategic projects to support future growth, such as new market distribution centers, our branch network and new technology. In addition, the Company invested $260 million and $616 million in new acquisitions in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023, respectively.

Cash flows from financing activities

(In millions)

Net cash used in financing activities was $1.3 billion and $1.8 billion in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Dividends paid to shareholders were $784 million and $711 million in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Share repurchases under the Company’s announced share repurchase program were $634 million and $908 million in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Net proceeds from debt were $145 million compared to net repayments of debt of $155 million in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively. In fiscal 2024, the Company had net borrowings of $200 million under the Receivables Facility (as defined below), partially offset by the repayment of $55 million in connection with the maturity of certain Private Placement Notes (as defined below). In fiscal 2023, the Company made $405 million in net repayments on the Receivables Facility and repaid $250 million due to the maturity of certain Private Placement Notes, partially offset by borrowings of $500 million in term loans.

Reinvestment of unremitted earnings

We consider foreign earnings of specific subsidiaries to be indefinitely reinvested. As of July 31, 2024 and 2023, these permanently reinvested earnings of foreign subsidiaries amounted to $795 million and $725 million, respectively. If at some future date, the Company ceases to be permanently reinvested in these specific foreign subsidiaries, the Company may be subject to foreign withholding and other taxes on these undistributed earnings and may need to record a deferred tax liability for any outside basis difference on these specific foreign subsidiaries. In addition, interest payments made between the U.S. and U.K. are anticipated to be exempt from withholding taxes, however, if Ferguson should fail to meet treaty requirements, withholding taxes may apply to these payments.

Debt facilities

The following section summarizes certain material provisions of our long-term debt facilities and current obligations. The following description is only a summary, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the documents governing such indebtedness.

(In millions)

Private Placement Notes

In June 2015 and November 2017, Wolseley Capital, Inc. (“Wolseley Capital”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, privately placed fixed rate notes in an aggregate principal amount of $800 million and $355 million, respectively (collectively, the “Private Placement Notes”). In September 2022 and November 2023, the Company repaid $250 million and $55 million, respectively, due to the maturing of certain Private Placement Notes. In November 2024, an additional $150 million of such notes will mature.

Unsecured Senior Notes

Ferguson Finance plc (“Ferguson Finance”) has issued $2.35 billion in various issuances of unsecured senior notes (collectively, the “Unsecured Senior Notes”).

The Unsecured Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a direct, unsubordinated and unsecured senior basis by the Company and generally carry the same terms and conditions with interest paid semi-annually. The Unsecured Senior Notes may be redeemed, in whole or in part, (i) at 100% of the principal amount on the notes being redeemed plus a “make-whole” prepayment premium at any time prior to three months before the maturity date (the “Notes Par Call Date”) or (ii) after the Notes Par Call Date at 100% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest on the principal being redeemed. The Unsecured Senior Notes include covenants, subject to certain exceptions, which include limitations on the granting of liens and on mergers and acquisitions.

Term Loan

In October 2022, the Company and Ferguson UK Holdings Limited (“Ferguson UK”) entered into, and Ferguson UK borrowed in full, the $500 million of term loans available under the Term Loan Agreement (as defined below). The proceeds of the term loans may be used for general corporate purposes. The Term Loan Agreement will mature on October 7, 2025. The benchmark rate is Term SOFR (as defined in the Term Loan Agreement) plus a credit spread adjustment of 10 basis points plus a margin ranging from 100 to 150 basis points, determined on the basis of the Company’s corporate credit ratings (or if public credit ratings are not published, senior unsecured debt ratings).

Revolving Credit Facility

The Company maintains a revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Facility”) under the Revolving Facility Agreement (as defined below) with aggregate total available credit commitments of $1.35 billion. The benchmark rate applicable to U.S. dollar denominated loans is Term SOFR (as defined in the Revolving Facility Agreement) plus a credit spread adjustment of 10 basis points plus a margin ranging from 20 to 75 basis points, determined on the basis of the Company’s corporate credit ratings (or if public credit ratings are not published, senior unsecured debt ratings).

As of July 31, 2024, no borrowings were outstanding under the Revolving Facility.

Receivables Securitization Facility

The Company maintains a Receivables Securitization Facility (as amended from time to time, the “Receivables Facility”) with an aggregate total available amount of $1.1 billion, including a swingline for up to $100 million in same day funding. The Company has the ability to increase the aggregate total available amount under the Receivables Facility up to a total of $1.5 billion from time to time, subject to lender participation. The benchmark rate is Term SOFR (as defined in the Receivables Facility) plus a credit spread adjustment of 10 basis points.

As of July 31, 2024, $250 million in borrowings were outstanding under the Receivables Facility.

The Company was in compliance with all debt covenants for all facilities as of July 31, 2024.

See Note 9, Debt to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding the Company’s debt.

There have been no significant changes during the fiscal year to the Company’s policies on accounting for, valuing and managing the risk of financial instruments.

Contractual obligations

The table below sets forth the Company’s anticipated contractual cash outflows on an undiscounted basis as of July 31, 2024:

(In millions)

(a) See Note 9, Debt to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.

(b) Interest on debt is calculated using the prevailing spot interest rate as of the balance sheet date.

(c) As required by United Kingdom pensions regulation, the United Kingdom Plan completed its triennial actuarial valuation exercise, which is measured on a technical provisions basis, based on the United Kingdom Plan’s financial position as of April 30, 2022. The triennial valuation resulted in a need for deficit reduction contributions by the Company of £133 million spread over the period to January 31, 2026, of which the Company has paid £50 million as of July 31, 2024. The related obligations in the table above have been converted to U.S. dollars using a year-end spot rate, which may be different when amounts are actually paid.

(d) Other purchase obligations primarily include commitments to purchase inventory and other goods and services and uncompleted additions to property, buildings and equipment that are expected to be satisfied within the next 12 months. Purchase obligations are made in the normal course of business to meet operating needs. While purchase orders for both inventory purchases and non-inventory purchases are generally cancellable without penalty, certain vendor agreements provide for cancellation fees or penalties depending on the terms of the contract.

Tax obligations

At July 31, 2024, the Company had aggregate liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits totaling $151 million, none of which are expected to be paid in the next 12 months. The timing of payment, if any, associated with our long-term unrecognized tax benefit liabilities is unknown. See Note 4, Income Tax to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of our unrecognized tax benefits.

Critical Accounting Estimates

In applying the Company’s accounting policies, various transactions and balances are valued using estimates or assumptions. Should these estimates or assumptions prove incorrect, there may be an impact on the following year’s financial statements. Management believes that the estimates and assumptions that have been applied would not give rise to a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next fiscal year.

The Company’s significant accounting policies that require estimates include the allowance for doubtful accounts, inventories, considerations around goodwill impairment, leases and revenue recognition. These policies and related estimates are described in Note 1, Summary of significant accounting policies to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Some of these accounting policies may require management to make difficult, subjective or complex judgments about the Company’s estimates.

The Company considers an accounting policy to be a critical estimate if: (1) it involves assumptions that are uncertain when judgment was applied, and (2) changes in the estimate assumptions, or selection of a different estimate methodology, could have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results. The Company has determined that its estimates around inventories and pension obligations represent its most critical accounting estimates.

Inventories

Inventory reserves are recorded against slow‐moving, obsolete and damaged inventories for which the net realizable value is estimated to be less than the cost. The reserve is estimated based on the Company’s current knowledge and judgment with respect to inventory levels, sales trends and historical experience.

Pensions

The Company considers that the most sensitive assumptions are the discount rate on the benefit obligation, the wage inflation growth rate and life expectancy in connection with the Company’s pension plan in the U.K. Changes in the assumption related to the pension plan in Canada do not result in significant changes.

The Company measures discount rates by reference to corporate bond yields, which can also vary significantly between reporting periods, particularly in light of macroeconomic factors that can impact corporate bond yields. The most sensitive assumption used for the Company’s U.K. pension plan were as follows:

The sensitivity analyses below show the (increase)/decrease in the Company’s defined benefit plan net asset/liability of reasonably possible changes of the respective assumptions occurring at the end of the reporting period, while holding all other assumptions constant.

(In millions)

Accounting developments and changes

Refer to Note 1, Summary of significant accounting policies to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of new accounting pronouncements.

The Company is exposed to market risks arising from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices. The Company has well-defined risk management policies, which have been consistently applied during fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022. We use derivative and non-derivative instruments to hedge a portion of our risks, none of which are for trading or speculative purposes. There have been no changes since the previous year in the major financial risks faced by the Company.

Foreign currency exchange rates risk

We are exposed to risks from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations on the translation of our foreign operations into U.S. dollars and on the purchase of goods and services by these foreign operations that are not denominated in their local currencies. Our foreign currency related hedging arrangements outstanding at the end of fiscal 2024 and 2023 were not material. A hypothetical 10% change in the relative value of the U.S. dollar would not materially impact the Company’s net earnings for 2024.

Interest rate risks

The Company is exposed to interest rate risk on its debt. In connection with certain of its Private Placement Notes, the Company entered into interest rate swaps, designated as fair value hedges, to manage its exposure to interest rate movements on its debt. If short-term interest rates varied by 10%, the impact on the Company’s variable-rate debt obligations would not have a material impact on the Company’s net earnings.

Commodity price risk

Some of the Company’s products contain significant amounts of commodity-priced materials, predominantly plastic, copper and steel, and other components which are subject to price changes based upon fluctuations in the commodities market. The Company is also exposed to fluctuations in the price of fuel, which could affect transportation costs. This price volatility could potentially have a material impact on our financial condition and/or our results of operations. The Company regularly monitors commodity trends and has alternative sourcing plans in place to mitigate the risk of supplier concentration, passing commodity-related inflation to customers or suppliers, and continuing to scale its distribution networks, including its transportation infrastructure.

Safe harbor

Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk include forward-looking statements with respect to management’s opinion about risks associated with the Company’s operations, debt and derivative positions. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to the inherent limitations associated with predicting the timing and amount of changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, prices of raw materials and the Company’s actual exposures and positions.

As of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report, our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act as of July 31, 2024. The term “disclosure controls and procedures” means controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding our required disclosure. In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can only provide reasonable assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met.

Based on their evaluation as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable assurance level.

Management’s report on internal controls over financial reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2024 based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of July 31, 2024 in providing reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2024 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein.

Changes in internal control over financial reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Ferguson Enterprises Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Ferguson plc and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of July 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of July 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended July 31, 2024, of the Company and our report dated September 25, 2024, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Richmond, VA

September 25, 2024