AE
AES
Latest · Mar 31, 2026
Quarter ended Mar 31, 2026 · FY2026 Q1

The AES Corporation stock research

The AES (AES) Free Cash Flow — Quarter Ended Mar 31, 2026

Revenue and operating cash flow both improved versus the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter, yet free cash flow remained negative due to higher capital expenditure. The free cash flow margin weakened sequentially but improved compared to the same quarter last year.

Free cash flow takeaway

A quick read on the company's cash generation and what it means for investors.

Revenue and operating cash flow both improved versus the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter, yet free cash flow remained negative due to higher capital expenditure. The free cash flow margin weakened sequentially but improved compared to the same quarter last year.

  • Operating cash flow as a proportion of revenue was higher than both the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter, but capital expenditure consumed a larger share of operating cash flow, resulting in negative free cash flow and a negative free cash flow margin.
  • Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, revenue was higher and operating cash flow was lower, while capital expenditure was higher, leading to a more negative free cash flow and a weakened free cash flow margin. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, revenue, operating cash flow, and capital expenditure were all higher, while free cash flow was less negative and the free cash flow margin improved.

FCF snapshot

Quarterly and TTM cash-flow metrics with the minimum valuation context.

TTM free cash flow

-$1.5B

Trailing twelve-month free cash flow.

Quarter free cash flow

-$565.0M

Free cash flow in the selected fiscal quarter.

Operating cash flow

$1.2B

Cash generated by operations before capital spending.

CapEx

$1.8B

Capital spending and related asset purchases.

FCF margin

-17.8%

The share of revenue converted into free cash flow.

TTM FCF yield

-14.0%

TTM FCF divided by market capitalization.

Cash flow trend

A short quarterly history shows whether FCF is scaling with revenue or only spiking for one period.

PeriodRevenueOperating CFCapExFCFFCF margin
2025-06-30$2.9B$976.0M$1.3B-$356.0M-12.5%
2025-09-30$3.4B$1.3B$1.8B-$511.0M-15.2%
2025-12-31$3.1B$1.5B$1.5B-$47.0M-1.5%
2026-03-31$3.2B$1.2B$1.8B-$565.0M-17.8%

Cash conversion quality

Checks that separate high-quality free cash flow from accounting noise or working-capital timing.

FCF / net income-116.0%Shows whether accounting earnings convert into cash.
CapEx / revenue55.5%Lower capital intensity usually supports FCF margin.
Net cashn/aCash and equivalents minus total debt.

Recent events shaping cash flow

Near-term business events that help explain the free cash flow result.

Supportive

Operating cash flow improvement

Operating cash flow was substantially higher than the year-ago quarter, which reduced the free cash flow deficit despite higher capital expenditure. This was the strongest observable driver of the quarter's cash conversion.

The improvement in operating cash flow was the primary factor behind the year-over-year reduction in the free cash flow deficit.

What the cash flow says

How to interpret the company's free cash flow beyond the headline number.

Operating cash flow as a proportion of revenue was higher than both the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter, but capital expenditure consumed a larger share of operating cash flow, resulting in negative free cash flow and a negative free cash flow margin.

Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, revenue was higher and operating cash flow was lower, while capital expenditure was higher, leading to a more negative free cash flow and a weakened free cash flow margin. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, revenue, operating cash flow, and capital expenditure were all higher, while free cash flow was less negative and the free cash flow margin improved.

Monitor the trajectory of capital expenditure relative to operating cash flow, as the gap between them widened sequentially and remained significant versus the year-ago quarter.

Valuation context

A cash-flow page should show how much investors are paying for the cash stream, without turning into a full DCF.

Market capitalization$10.6BUsed as the denominator for FCF yield.
TTM FCF yield-14.0%TTM free cash flow divided by market capitalization.
EV / TTM FCFn/aA quick valuation bridge, not a full DCF.

Peer context

Free cash flow quality is easier to read against related public companies.

AE
AES

The AES Corporation

FCF margin

-17.8%

FCF yield

-14.0%