FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND RISK FACTORS
Certain statements regarding our future performance that are contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things, the demand for our products and services, including as a result of macroeconomic conditions; net sales growth; comparable sales; the effects of competition; our brand and reputation; implementation of interconnected retail, store, supply chain and technology initiatives; inventory and in-stock positions; the state of the economy; the state of the housing and home improvement markets; the state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans, and consumer credit; the impact of tariffs; issues related to the payment methods we accept; demand for credit offerings; management of relationships with our associates, potential associates, suppliers and service providers; cost and availability of labor; costs of fuel and other energy sources; events that could disrupt our business, supply chain, technology infrastructure, or demand for our products and services, such as international trade disputes, natural disasters, climate change, public health issues, cybersecurity events, labor disputes, geopolitical conflicts, military conflicts or acts of war; our ability to maintain a safe and secure store environment; our ability to address expectations regarding environmental, social and governance matters and meet related goals; continuation or suspension of share repurchases; net earnings performance; earnings per share; future dividends; capital allocation and expenditures; liquidity; return on invested capital; expense leverage; changes in interest rates; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; commodity or other price inflation and deflation; our ability to issue debt on terms and at rates acceptable to us; the impact and expected outcome of investigations, inquiries, claims, and litigation, including compliance with related settlements; the challenges of operating in international markets; the adequacy of insurance coverage; the effect of accounting charges; the effect of adopting certain accounting standards; the impact of legal and regulatory changes, including changes to tax laws and regulations; store openings and closures; financial outlook; and the impact of acquired companies, including SRS Distribution Inc., on our organization and the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions.
Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties — many of which are beyond our control, dependent on the actions of third parties, or currently unknown to us — as well as potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our expectations and projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended January 28, 2024, as updated by our annual or quarterly reports for subsequent fiscal years or fiscal quarters that we file with the SEC, all of which are incorporated by reference. See “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Information We File with the SEC.” You should also carefully consider the risks and other information that may be contained in or incorporated by reference into any prospectus supplement relating to a specific offering of debt securities. There also may be other factors that we cannot anticipate or that are not described in this prospectus, generally because we do not currently perceive them to be material. Such factors could cause results to differ materially from our expectations.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements other than as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our filings with the SEC and in our other public statements.
