Free cash flow takeaway
A quick read on the company's cash generation and what it means for investors.
Revenue increased from both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year, while free cash flow margin weakened sequentially but improved year-over-year. Cash conversion was lower than the previous quarter but remained comparable to the year-ago period.
- Revenue rose from both the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter. Operating cash flow decreased sequentially but increased year-over-year. Capital expenditure was higher than both periods. Consequently, free cash flow was lower than the prior quarter but higher than the year-ago quarter, and the free cash flow margin weakened sequentially and improved year-over-year.
- Sequentially, revenue was higher but operating cash flow and free cash flow were lower, while capital expenditure was higher. Year-over-year, all metrics were higher.
FCF snapshot
Quarterly and TTM cash-flow metrics with the minimum valuation context.
TTM free cash flow
$14.8B
Trailing twelve-month free cash flow.
Quarter free cash flow
$2.9B
Free cash flow in the selected fiscal quarter.
Operating cash flow
$3.0B
Cash generated by operations before capital spending.
CapEx
$110.0M
Capital spending and related asset purchases.
FCF margin
14.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-31 | $17.2B | $4.2B | $50.0M | $4.2B | 24.3% |
| 2024-06-30 | $18.1B | $3.3B | $68.0M | $3.2B | 17.6% |
| 2024-09-30 | $19.7B | $4.6B | $57.0M | $4.6B | 23.1% |
| 2024-12-31 | $20.3B | $3.0B | $110.0M | $2.9B | 14.3% |
Cash conversion quality
Checks that separate high-quality free cash flow from accounting noise or working-capital timing.
| FCF / net income | 123.0% | Shows whether accounting earnings convert into cash. |
| CapEx / revenue | 0.5% | 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.
Revenue growth versus cash conversion
Revenue increased both sequentially and year-over-year, but operating cash flow did not keep pace, leading to a lower free cash flow margin sequentially. The year-over-year improvement in free cash flow margin was modest.
The relationship between revenue growth and cash generation will be a key factor to monitor for future cash flow stability.
What the cash flow says
How to interpret the company's free cash flow beyond the headline number.
Revenue rose from both the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter. Operating cash flow decreased sequentially but increased year-over-year. Capital expenditure was higher than both periods. Consequently, free cash flow was lower than the prior quarter but higher than the year-ago quarter, and the free cash flow margin weakened sequentially and improved year-over-year.
Sequentially, revenue was higher but operating cash flow and free cash flow were lower, while capital expenditure was higher. Year-over-year, all metrics were higher.
Monitor the trend in operating cash flow relative to revenue, as the sequential decline in cash conversion widened despite higher revenue.