“And we expect mid-single-digit percentage growth in diluted earnings per share compared to fiscal 2021.”

In context

“uring the quarter, we paid approximately $1.9 billion in dividends to our shareholders and we returned approximately $1.2 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases. Computed on the average of beginning and ending long-term debt and equity for the trailing 12 months, return on invested capital was approximately 43.3%, down from 43.9% in the third quarter of fiscal 2021. Now, I will comment on our guidance for fiscal 2022. As you heard from Ted, we are very pleased with the solid performance we saw during the third quarter. Today, we are reaffirming our guidance for 2022. We expect comp sales growth of approximately 3% for fiscal 2022. We expect comp sales to be positive for the fourth quarter. We expect our fiscal 2022 operating margin to be approximately 15.4% for the year. And we expect mid-single-digit percentage growth in diluted earnings per share compared to fiscal 2021. As we’ve said throughout the year, we find ourselves in a unique environment with many cross-currents. We are operating in a broad-based inflationary environment, not seen in four decades while managing through constrained global supply chain conditions, all against the backdrop of monetary policy shifts intended to moderate demand. To date, our customer has proven resilient. We feel confident that we will continue to manage with flexibility through a dynamic environment while growing faster than our market and delivering exceptional shareholder value. Before opening the call for questions, we are pleased to announce that we will be holding an investor conference on June 13, 2023 in New York City. We will share more details in the near future, but for now, please hold the date. Thank you”