Dive Brief:

• Sysco Corp., the largest food distributor in the nation, reported a 10% drop in net income for the most-recent quarter. Revenue rose 3.2%.
• The Houston-based company blamed severe weather in the first two months of the quarter for the disappointing results, saying it pushed delivery costs higher. 
• The company implied that things had already taken a turn for the better, noting that March sales and profit were significantly stronger than January and February.

Dive Insight:

If there's a silver lining in Sysco's poor performance, it's that the earnings report comes as federal regulators consider whether or not to allow the company to merge with rival US Foods Inc., the second-largest distributor in the country.

Nothing says "this is a competitive market" as loudly as shrinking profits.