Free cash flow takeaway
A quick read on the company's cash generation and what it means for investors.
Revenue was stable, but operating cash flow and free cash flow declined sharply from both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year. The free cash flow margin weakened significantly compared with both periods.
- Cash conversion weakened as operating cash flow fell relative to revenue, partly offset by a modest increase in capital expenditure. The resulting free cash flow margin declined versus the prior quarter and the same quarter last year.
- Compared with the immediately preceding quarter, revenue was essentially stable while operating cash flow, free cash flow, and free cash flow margin were all lower. Versus the same quarter one year ago, revenue was higher but all cash flow metrics and margin were substantially lower.
FCF snapshot
Quarterly and TTM cash-flow metrics with the minimum valuation context.
TTM free cash flow
$26.4B
Trailing twelve-month free cash flow.
Quarter free cash flow
$6.1B
Free cash flow in the selected fiscal quarter.
Operating cash flow
$6.9B
Cash generated by operations before capital spending.
CapEx
$838.0M
Capital spending and related asset purchases.
FCF margin
6.6%
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 | $82.8B | -$4.5B | $866.0M | -$5.4B | -6.5% |
| 2023-03-31 | $91.9B | $16.3B | $760.0M | $15.6B | 16.9% |
| 2023-06-30 | $92.9B | $11.0B | $829.0M | $10.2B | 11.0% |
| 2023-09-30 | $92.4B | $6.9B | $838.0M | $6.1B | 6.6% |
Cash conversion quality
Checks that separate high-quality free cash flow from accounting noise or working-capital timing.
| FCF / net income | 103.8% | Shows whether accounting earnings convert into cash. |
| CapEx / revenue | 0.9% | Lower capital intensity usually supports FCF margin. |
| Net cash | -$24.5B | 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 decline
Operating cash flow dropped from both the prior quarter and the year-ago period, while revenue remained relatively stable or increased. This divergence was the strongest observable driver of the weakened free cash flow and margin.
The lower operating cash flow directly reduced free cash flow and compressed the free cash flow margin.
What the cash flow says
How to interpret the company's free cash flow beyond the headline number.
Cash conversion weakened as operating cash flow fell relative to revenue, partly offset by a modest increase in capital expenditure. The resulting free cash flow margin declined versus the prior quarter and the same quarter last year.
Compared with the immediately preceding quarter, revenue was essentially stable while operating cash flow, free cash flow, and free cash flow margin were all lower. Versus the same quarter one year ago, revenue was higher but all cash flow metrics and margin were substantially lower.
Monitor the trend in operating cash flow relative to revenue, as the gap widened materially this quarter.