Dycom (DY) Risk Analysis

We are subject to certain anti-takeover provisions of the Florida Business Corporation Act. These anti-takeover provisions could discourage or prevent a change in control. In addition, certain provisions of our articles of incorporation and by-laws could delay or prevent an acquisition or change in control and the replacement of our incumbent directors and management. For example, our board of directors is divided into three classes. At any annual meeting of our shareholders, our shareholders have the right to elect only approximately one-third of the directors on our board of directors. In addition, our articles of incorporation authorize our board of directors, without further shareholder approval, to issue up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock on such terms and with such rights as our board of directors may determine. The issuance of preferred stock could dilute the voting power of the holders of common stock, including by the grant of voting control to others. Our by-laws also restrict the right of shareholders to call a special meeting of shareholders. As a result, our shareholders may be unable to take advantage of opportunities to dispose of their stock in the Company at higher prices that may otherwise be available in connection with takeover attempts or under a merger or other proposal.

Our backlog includes the estimated uncompleted portion of services to be performed under master services agreements and other contractual agreements with our customers. These estimates are based on, among other things, contract terms and projections regarding the timing of the services to be provided. In the case of master service agreements, backlog is calculated using as an input the amount of work performed in the preceding 12 month period, when applicable. Backlog for newly initiated master service agreements and other long and short-term contracts is estimated using the anticipated scope of the contract and information received from the customer in the procurement process. Generally, our customers are not contractually committed to procure specific volumes of services. Contract revenue estimates reflected in our backlog can be subject to change due to a number of factors, including contract cancellations or changes in the amount of work we expect to be performed under a contract. In addition, contract revenues reflected in our backlog may be realized in different periods from those previously anticipated due to these factors as well as project accelerations or delays due to various reasons, including, but not limited to, changes in customer spending priorities, project cancellations, regulatory interruptions, scheduling changes, commercial issues, such as permitting, engineering revisions, job site conditions and adverse weather. The amount or timing of our backlog can also be impacted by the merger or acquisition activity of our customers. Our estimates of our customers' requirements during a future period may prove to be inaccurate. As a result, our backlog as of any particular date is an uncertain estimate of the amount of, and timing of, future revenues and earnings.

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries are party to an amended and restated credit agreement, that includes a revolving facility with a maximum revolver commitment of $650.0 million and a term loan facility in the principal amount of $450.0 million, which matures on January 15, 2029 (the "Credit Agreement"). The Credit Agreement includes a $200.0 million sublimit for the issuance of letters of credit and a $50.0 million sublimit for swingline loans. As of January 25, 2025, we had $450.0 million outstanding under the term loan facility and $47.5 million of outstanding letters of credit issued under our Credit Agreement. We had no outstanding borrowings under our revolving facility as of January 25, 2025. The Credit Agreement contains covenants that restrict or limit our ability to, among other things: make certain payments, including the payment of dividends, redeem or repurchase our capital stock, incur additional indebtedness and issue preferred stock, make investments or create liens, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, merge or consolidate with another entity, sell certain assets, and enter into transactions with affiliates. Our Credit Agreement also requires us to comply with certain financial covenants, including a consolidated net leverage ratio and a consolidated interest coverage ratio. These covenants in our Credit Agreement may prevent us from engaging in transactions that benefit us and may limit our flexibility in the execution of our business strategy. Additionally, on April 1, 2021, we issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.50% senior notes due 2029 (the "2029 Notes"). The 2029 Notes are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis, jointly and severally, by all of our domestic subsidiaries that guarantee the Credit Agreement. The indenture governing the 2029 Notes includes cross-acceleration and cross-default provisions with our Credit Agreement. If our financial results fall below anticipated levels, we may be unable to comply with these covenants and a default under our Credit Agreement could result in the acceleration of our obligations under both our Credit Agreement and the indenture governing the 2029 Notes, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to execute our business strategy.

As part of our growth strategy, we may acquire companies that we expect to expand, complement, or diversify our business. The success of this strategy depends on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from the acquired businesses, such as the expansion of our existing operations and the elimination of redundant costs. To realize these benefits, we must successfully integrate the operations of the acquired businesses with our existing operations. Integrating acquired businesses involves a number of operational challenges and risks, including diversion of management's attention from our existing business; unanticipated issues in integrating information, communications, and other systems and consolidating corporate and administrative infrastructures; failure to manage successfully and coordinate the growth of the combined company; and failure to retain management and other key employees. These factors could result in increased costs, decreases in the amount of expected revenues and diversion of management's time and energy, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial position. Additionally, any impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets as a result of our failure to successfully integrate acquisitions could adversely affect our results of operations and financial position.

We are highly dependent upon our ability to employ, train, retain, and ensure the productivity of the skilled personnel needed to operate our business. Given the highly specialized work we perform, many of our employees receive training in, and possess, specialized technical skills that are necessary to operate our business and maintain productivity and profitability. We cannot be certain that we will be able to maintain and ensure the productivity of the skilled labor force necessary to operate our business. Our ability to do so depends on a number of factors, such as the general rate of employment, fluctuations in economic and industry conditions, changes in U.S. immigration policies, regulatory changes, competition for employees possessing the skills we need and the general health and welfare of our employees. Additionally, factors such as corporate culture, organizational changes, remote working opportunities and our compensation programs may impact our ability to effectively attract, retain and manage our workforce. In addition, the uncertainty of contract awards and project delays can also present difficulties in appropriately sizing our skilled labor force. Furthermore, due to the fixed price nature of the tasks in our contracts, we may be unable to pass increases in labor and training costs on to our customers. If we are unable to attract or retain qualified employees or incur additional labor and training costs, we may be unable to maintain or improve our competitive position and our results of operations could be adversely affected.

, in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We face competition from the in-house service organizations of our customers whose personnel perform many of the services that we provide. We can offer no assurance that our existing or prospective customers will continue to outsource the specialty contracting services we provide in the future. Our revenues and results of operations could be adversely affected if our existing or prospective customers reduce the specialty contracting services that are outsourced to us.

Generally, our customers have no obligation to assign specific amounts of work to us. Customers decide to engage us to provide services based on, among other things, the amount of capital they have available and their spending priorities. Our customers' capital budgets may change for reasons over which we have no control. These changes may occur quickly and without advance notice. Any fluctuation in the capital or operating expenditure budgets and priorities of our customers could adversely affect our revenues, results of operations, and liquidity. Further, if we continue to broaden our customer base, we may become subject to different customer requirements or characteristics, including less advantageous contractual requirements, customers with financial or operational instability or increased contract terminations or project cancellations. Our failure or inability to anticipate or adapt to a changing customer base and shifting business models could have an adverse effect on our competitive position business or results of operations.

Our success is dependent on our and our customers' ability to acquire, develop, adopt and leverage new and existing technologies, including artificial intelligence ("AI"). New technologies can materially impact our business in a number of ways, including affecting the costs, speed and efficiency with which we can provide our services to our customers and our ability to differentiate ourselves from our competitor's offerings. Our customers may also experience decreased demand for their products or services if they fail to develop new products and technologies to meet consumer demand. Our failure to effectively anticipate or adapt to new technologies and changes in our customer's expectations and behavior could materially impact our competitive position with our customers and, as a result, our future success and growth.