ND
NDAQ
Latest · Mar 31, 2026
Quarter ended Mar 31, 2026 · FY2026 Q1

Nasdaq, Inc. stock research

Nasdaq (NDAQ) Free Cash Flow — Quarter Ended Mar 31, 2026

Free cash flow this quarter improved from the prior quarter, supported by higher operating cash flow and lower capital expenditure. Compared with the same quarter one year earlier, free cash flow was slightly higher and the margin remained stable.

Free cash flow takeaway

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

Free cash flow this quarter improved from the prior quarter, supported by higher operating cash flow and lower capital expenditure. Compared with the same quarter one year earlier, free cash flow was slightly higher and the margin remained stable.

  • Operating cash flow converted to free cash flow after deducting capital expenditure, producing a margin that improved from the prior quarter and was consistent with the same quarter one year earlier.
  • Compared with the prior quarter, operating cash flow increased and capital expenditure decreased, resulting in higher free cash flow and an improved margin. Versus the same quarter one year earlier, operating cash flow was higher, capital expenditure was higher, and free cash flow was slightly higher, with a stable margin.

FCF snapshot

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

TTM free cash flow

$2.0B

Trailing twelve-month free cash flow.

Quarter free cash flow

$629.0M

Free cash flow in the selected fiscal quarter.

Operating cash flow

$689.0M

Cash generated by operations before capital spending.

CapEx

$60.0M

Capital spending and related asset purchases.

FCF margin

29.4%

The share of revenue converted into free cash flow.

TTM FCF yield

3.9%

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$2.1B$746.0M$59.0M$687.0M32.9%
2025-09-30$2.0B$221.0M$69.0M$152.0M7.8%
2025-12-31$2.1B$625.0M$89.0M$536.0M25.2%
2026-03-31$2.1B$689.0M$60.0M$629.0M29.4%

Cash conversion quality

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

FCF / net income121.2%Shows whether accounting earnings convert into cash.
CapEx / revenue2.8%Lower capital intensity usually supports FCF margin.
Net cash-$8.0BCash 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 rose compared with both the prior quarter and the same quarter one year earlier, providing the primary support for the increase in free cash flow.

The higher operating cash flow, combined with lower capital expenditure than the prior quarter, drove the improvement in free cash flow and margin.

What the cash flow says

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

Operating cash flow converted to free cash flow after deducting capital expenditure, producing a margin that improved from the prior quarter and was consistent with the same quarter one year earlier.

Compared with the prior quarter, operating cash flow increased and capital expenditure decreased, resulting in higher free cash flow and an improved margin. Versus the same quarter one year earlier, operating cash flow was higher, capital expenditure was higher, and free cash flow was slightly higher, with a stable margin.

Monitor capital expenditure levels, as they increased from the prior year period and directly affect 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$51.6BUsed as the denominator for FCF yield.
TTM FCF yield3.9%TTM free cash flow divided by market capitalization.
EV / TTM FCF29.7xA quick valuation bridge, not a full DCF.

Peer context

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

ND
NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

FCF margin

29.4%

FCF yield

3.9%