Free cash flow takeaway
A quick read on the company's cash generation and what it means for investors.
Citigroup's free cash flow turned deeply negative in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, driven by a large operating cash outflow. Revenue increased from both the prior quarter and the year-ago period, but the cash conversion weakened significantly.
- Revenue rose compared to both the previous quarter and the same quarter last year, yet operating cash flow shifted from positive to a substantial outflow, resulting in a negative free cash flow and a sharply lower free cash flow margin. Capital expenditure was lower than the prior quarter but higher than a year ago.
- Compared to the prior quarter, revenue improved while operating cash flow and free cash flow both weakened, turning from positive to negative. Versus the same quarter last year, revenue was higher, but the operating cash outflow deepened, and free cash flow became more negative.
FCF snapshot
Quarterly and TTM cash-flow metrics with the minimum valuation context.
TTM free cash flow
-$2.2B
Trailing twelve-month free cash flow.
Quarter free cash flow
-$32.1B
Free cash flow in the selected fiscal quarter.
Operating cash flow
-$30.5B
Cash generated by operations before capital spending.
CapEx
$1.6B
Capital spending and related asset purchases.
FCF margin
-149.8%
The share of revenue converted into free cash flow.
Cash flow trend
A short quarterly history shows whether FCF is scaling with revenue or only spiking for one period.
| Period | Revenue | Operating CF | CapEx | FCF | FCF margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-06-30 | $19.6B | $23.5B | $1.2B | $22.3B | 113.3% |
| 2022-09-30 | $18.5B | -$2.0B | $1.2B | -$3.2B | -17.2% |
| 2022-12-31 | $18.0B | $12.8B | $2.0B | $10.8B | 60.2% |
| 2023-03-31 | $21.4B | -$30.5B | $1.6B | -$32.1B | -149.8% |
Cash conversion quality
Checks that separate high-quality free cash flow from accounting noise or working-capital timing.
| FCF / net income | -697.3% | Shows whether accounting earnings convert into cash. |
| CapEx / revenue | 7.6% | Lower capital intensity usually supports FCF margin. |
| Net cash | n/a | Cash and equivalents minus total debt. |
Recent events shaping cash flow
Near-term business events that help explain the free cash flow result.
Operating Cash Flow Swing
The primary observable driver is the large negative swing in operating cash flow, which moved from positive in the prior quarter to a significant outflow in the current quarter. This shift is the main factor behind the negative free cash flow.
The negative operating cash flow directly caused free cash flow to turn deeply negative despite higher revenue.
What the cash flow says
How to interpret the company's free cash flow beyond the headline number.
Revenue rose compared to both the previous quarter and the same quarter last year, yet operating cash flow shifted from positive to a substantial outflow, resulting in a negative free cash flow and a sharply lower free cash flow margin. Capital expenditure was lower than the prior quarter but higher than a year ago.
Compared to the prior quarter, revenue improved while operating cash flow and free cash flow both weakened, turning from positive to negative. Versus the same quarter last year, revenue was higher, but the operating cash outflow deepened, and free cash flow became more negative.
Monitor the magnitude of operating cash outflows in upcoming quarters to assess whether the negative free cash flow persists.