Free cash flow
Operating cash flow minus the absolute value of capital expenditures - cash generated after reinvestment in the asset base.
Formula
Operating cash flow − |capital expenditures|
Served as: annual · quarterly · ttm · derived. Annual and quarterly observations are never mixed unlabeled.
Where the inputs come from
- NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities
- PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Listed highest priority first. Every served figure carries its filing, fiscal period and accession; open any value on the financials page to see them.
How to compare it honestly
Compare against the company's own history; positive free cash flow is supporting evidence, not a valuation conclusion.
When it is not served
Not computed when capex is missing for the period - missing capex is missing evidence, never zero.
Missing data is missing evidence: it is never shown as zero and never treated as a conclusion.
What it cannot tell you
Excludes acquisitions, leases and financing choices; one strong period does not establish durability.
Questions worth asking next
- How is free cash flow allocated - dividends, buybacks, debt repayment or cash build?
- Do working-capital swings explain recent changes?
Research prompts, not recommendations.
See it computed from filings
Related in cash and conversion: FCF conversion · Cash conversion of earnings · Cash returned · Total payout / FCF · Dividend payout
Definitions are descriptive and educational. Nothing here is a guaranteed signal or personalized investment advice. How the platform computes and cites every figure.