Free cash flow takeaway
A quick read on the company's cash generation and what it means for investors.
The company generated positive free cash flow in the current quarter, a significant improvement from negative free cash flow in both the prior quarter and the same quarter a year ago. Revenue increased while operating cash flow turned positive, resulting in a healthy free cash flow margin.
- Revenue was higher than both comparison periods. Operating cash flow was positive, a sharp reversal from negative values in the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter. Capital expenditure remained relatively stable. Free cash flow and margin were positive, compared to negative in both prior periods.
- Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, free cash flow improved from negative to positive, driven by operating cash flow turning positive despite similar capital expenditure. Versus the same quarter one year earlier, the improvement was even more pronounced, as operating cash flow moved from a large negative to a positive figure.
FCF snapshot
Quarterly and TTM cash-flow metrics with the minimum valuation context.
TTM free cash flow
-$3.7B
Trailing twelve-month free cash flow.
Quarter free cash flow
$383.0M
Free cash flow in the selected fiscal quarter.
Operating cash flow
$434.0M
Cash generated by operations before capital spending.
CapEx
$51.0M
Capital spending and related asset purchases.
FCF margin
10.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-31 | $3.0B | -$3.1B | $27.0M | -$3.2B | -104.5% |
| 2023-03-31 | $3.2B | -$624.0M | $42.0M | -$666.0M | -21.1% |
| 2023-06-30 | $3.3B | -$188.0M | $53.0M | -$241.0M | -7.3% |
| 2023-09-30 | $3.5B | $434.0M | $51.0M | $383.0M | 10.9% |
Cash conversion quality
Checks that separate high-quality free cash flow from accounting noise or working-capital timing.
| FCF / net income | 88.2% | Shows whether accounting earnings convert into cash. |
| CapEx / revenue | 1.5% | 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.
Operating cash flow turnaround
Operating cash flow shifted from negative in both the previous quarter and the year-ago quarter to positive in the current quarter, while revenue increased. This reversal was the primary factor behind the generation of positive free cash flow.
Positive free cash flow enabled the company to fund capital expenditures and generate cash for other uses.
What the cash flow says
How to interpret the company's free cash flow beyond the headline number.
Revenue was higher than both comparison periods. Operating cash flow was positive, a sharp reversal from negative values in the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter. Capital expenditure remained relatively stable. Free cash flow and margin were positive, compared to negative in both prior periods.
Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, free cash flow improved from negative to positive, driven by operating cash flow turning positive despite similar capital expenditure. Versus the same quarter one year earlier, the improvement was even more pronounced, as operating cash flow moved from a large negative to a positive figure.
Monitor the company's regulatory capital adequacy as discussed in the filing, which notes that failure to meet minimum capital requirements may trigger constraints on distributions and other actions.