CC
CCI
Latest · Mar 31, 2026
Quarter ended Mar 31, 2026 · FY2026 Q1

Crown Castle Inc. stock research

Crown Castle (CCI) Free Cash Flow & Quarterly History

Explore Crown Castle Inc. (CCI) free cash flow from 2023 through the latest reported quarter, with SEC-sourced operating cash flow, capital expenditures, and period-by-period analysis.

Free cash flow takeaway

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

Revenue, operating cash flow, and free cash flow all decreased compared to both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year. The free cash flow margin, while still substantial, weakened from the earlier periods.

  • Operating cash flow was significantly higher than revenue, resulting in a free cash flow margin that remained above the revenue level, though the margin contracted from both the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter.
  • Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, revenue, operating cash flow, and free cash flow were lower, while capital expenditure was slightly lower. Versus the same quarter one year earlier, revenue and operating cash flow were lower, capital expenditure was higher, and free cash flow was lower.

FCF snapshot

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

TTM free cash flow

$2.7B

Trailing twelve-month free cash flow.

Quarter free cash flow

$452.0M

Free cash flow in the selected fiscal quarter.

Operating cash flow

$509.0M

Cash generated by operations before capital spending.

CapEx

$57.0M

Capital spending and related asset purchases.

FCF margin

922.4%

The share of revenue converted into free cash flow.

TTM FCF yield

7.9%

TTM FCF divided by market capitalization.

FCF reconciliation

Free cash flow is not a GAAP line item; it should be bridged from the cash flow statement.

Operating cash flow$509.0MCash generated by operations before capital spending.
Capital expenditures$57.0MCapital spending used to bridge CFO to FCF.
Free cash flow$452.0MOperating cash flow less capital spending.

Cash flow trend

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

PeriodRevenueOperating CFCapExFCFFCF margin
2022-06-30$167.0M$779.0M$303.0M$476.0M285.0%
2022-09-30$178.0M$701.0M$337.0M$364.0M204.5%
2022-12-31$186.0M$840.0M$389.0M$451.0M242.5%
2023-03-31$149.0M$606.0M$341.0M$265.0M177.9%
2023-06-30$139.0M$1.1B$379.0M$740.0M532.4%
2023-09-30$90.0M$533.0M$347.0M$186.0M206.7%
2023-12-31$43.0M$868.0M$824.0M$44.0M102.3%
2024-03-31$46.0M$599.0M$47.0M$552.0M1200.0%
2024-06-30$43.0M$768.0M$39.0M$729.0M1695.3%
2024-09-30$54.0M$699.0M$38.0M$661.0M1224.1%
2024-12-31$49.0M$877.0M$52.0M$825.0M1683.7%
2025-03-31$50.0M$641.0M$40.0M$601.0M1202.0%
2025-06-30$52.0M$832.0M$40.0M$792.0M1523.1%
2025-09-30$60.0M$714.0M$43.0M$671.0M1118.3%
2025-12-31$53.0M$870.0M$59.0M$811.0M1530.2%
2026-03-31$49.0M$509.0M$57.0M$452.0M922.4%

Cash conversion quality

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

FCF / net income299.3%Shows whether accounting earnings convert into cash.
CapEx / revenue116.3%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.

Watch

Operating Cash Flow Decline

Operating cash flow fell compared to both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year, leading to a lower free cash flow despite a modest reduction in capital expenditure.

The decline in operating cash flow was the strongest observable driver of the reduced free cash flow in the current quarter.

What the cash flow says

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

Operating cash flow was significantly higher than revenue, resulting in a free cash flow margin that remained above the revenue level, though the margin contracted from both the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter.

Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, revenue, operating cash flow, and free cash flow were lower, while capital expenditure was slightly lower. Versus the same quarter one year earlier, revenue and operating cash flow were lower, capital expenditure was higher, and free cash flow was lower.

Monitor the trajectory of operating cash flow, as its decline was the primary factor behind the drop in free cash flow.

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$34.5BUsed as the denominator for FCF yield.
TTM FCF yield7.9%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.

CC
CCI

Crown Castle Inc.

FCF margin

922.4%

FCF yield

7.9%

Risks and tripwires

Observable signals that would weaken the free cash flow thesis.

RiskTripwireWhy it matters
FCF margin compressionFCF margin falls for two consecutive quarters.Cash conversion may be weakening before earnings show it.
Capital intensity risesCapEx/revenue moves materially above the recent run rate.More operating cash flow would be consumed before becoming FCF.
Working capital dragInventory or receivables grow faster than revenue.Reported growth may not translate into cash.