Oana Labes, MBA, CPA on LinkedIn: Understanding Free Cash Flow is Hard. But Essential. What is it? Why… | 24 comments (2024)

Oana Labes, MBA, CPA

Transformative Finance Strategist, Coach & Speaker | Empowering CEOs & CFOs to Win with Decision-Ready Dashboards, Finance-Ready Strategies and Boardroom-Ready Reports | Founder & President, Financiario

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Understanding Free Cash Flow is Hard.But Essential.What is it?Why does it exist?How to calculate it?How to use it like a pro?--------💎Join 30,000+ subscribers of The Finance Gem 💎 Enjoy unabbreviated Linkedin posts. Get free weekly strategic finance insights to accelerate your career and grow your business. Visit my website to subscribe. -------- 🎯Here’s a 6-Step simplified framework to help you, inspired by NYC Stern’s Aswath Damodaran:1️⃣ Free Cash Flow FCF Types:- FCFE (Free Cash Flow to Equity): Cash available to equity holders, key for dividend potential and growth.- FCFF (Free Cash Flow to Firm): Measures overall company growth and investment potential, independent of financing.2️⃣ Calculating FCF:- For FCFE: Adjust net income for non-cash items, reinvestment, and net borrowings.- For FCFF: Adjust EBITDA for hypothetical taxes, non-cash items, and reinvestment.3️⃣ Analyzing FCF: - Beyond numbers: Reflects past performance and future prospects.- Essential for financial health and strategic decision-making.4️⃣ Understanding FCF: - FCFE is cash available to be returned to equity investors, either in the form of dividends or as cash buybacks - FCFF cash flows that would have been available for equity investors, if there were no debt in the firm (unlevered) 5️⃣ Utilization Insights:- FCFE: For equity value, dividend capability, share buybacks.- FCFF: For assessing growth and investment, irrespective of debt.6️⃣ Contextualizing FCF:- Indicates company lifecycle: Negative in growth phase, positive in maturity.What would you add?---------🎯 Get the knowledge and skills to accelerate your career and grow your business with my 5* 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 >>> link on my website-------🎬 Sign up for my 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 and learn to 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 >> link on my website—-----⭐ Get my viral checklists and cheat sheets on my website➕ Follow me for strategic finance, business, and cash flow insights

  • Oana Labes, MBA, CPA on LinkedIn: Understanding Free Cash Flow is Hard.But Essential.What is it?Why… | 24 comments (2)

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Gerardo Fritsch Grez

CFO | Finance Director

2mo

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Fantastic breakdown, Oana Your 6-step framework demystifies Free Cash Flow (FCF) in a practical and insightful way. I particularly appreciate how you've highlighted the differences and uses of FCFE and FCFF, catering to both equity stakeholders and overall company health. This is crucial for strategic financial planning. In addition to your framework, how would you suggest smaller businesses with limited resources approach FCF analysis? Do you think the principles change significantly when applied to start-ups or small enterprises compared to larger corporations?

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SkillFine

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Free cash flows to firm is useful for industrial companies and free cash flows to equity is relevant for banking and financial services

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Géraldine Arnaud

CEO chez APICIL Asset Management

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I like this approach. In terms of cash flow is important to make à différence depending where you are looking from !

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Instantly Relevant - Intelligent LinkedIn Marketing Systems

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Oana Labes, MBA, CPA, How can a company use FCFE and FCFF effectively to make strategic decisions and drive growth?

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Nikhil Borole

2 Million+ Content Views || Test Engineer || Inbound Outbound Marketing || Manual Testing || API Testing || SDLC || STLC || Bug Report || Jira || Funtional Testing

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Valuable insights on understanding Free Cash Flow and its importance for strategic decision-making. Your simplified framework is a gem for anyone looking to elevate their finance knowledge. Thank you for sharing, Oana Labes, MBA, CPA!

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Melvin Huwer

Assistent der Geschäftsleitung bei Clementia

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Thank you. There is no legal defintion for Free Cash Flow.

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Luis Fernando Ramos C

Board m Best-fed, Partner GARA SpA, Consultant

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Market share is vanity, EBIT is healthy .....cash flow is reality

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Benedict Francis

💰Cash flow instability? | 🌟 Reverse Financing for Indian Exporters ✈️ | Need Global Buyers? ⚠️| FREE 🌍Global Buyers Data📊

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This is what they say to resonate in their Indian context, fantabulous Oana Labes, MBA, CPA

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Valentin Picot

Co-founder and COO @Surge.care 🧬 | Immunological fingerprinting technology | Deliver accurate predictions for complication-free surgeries | Launching soon in the US and Europe..

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Thank you Oana Labes, MBA, CPA for this amazing breakdown!

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Abhishek Singh

Service Delivery Advisor at NTT DATA || IIM Indore Alumni || MBA(Gold Medallist) || M.Tech || PMP® || ITIL® 4 || SAFe® 6 Agilist || SAFe® 6 Scrum Master || CSM® || CSPO® || PSM-I || ICP-ACC || LSSBB

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Thanks for sharing

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  • Oana Labes, MBA, CPA

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    EBT vs. EBIT vs. EBITDAHow are they different? -------💎If you liked this post, you’ll love the strategic finance insights I publish weekly in my free newsletter. 💎Sign up and watch your knowledge & influence compound in boardrooms and beyond: https://bit.ly/4300Di8--------Let’s break down EBT vs EBIT vs EBITDA differences step by step.1. Definitions:↳EBT: Profit excluding tax expenses.↳EBIT: Profit excluding interest and income tax expenses.↳EBITDA: Profit excluding interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization expenses.2. Formulas:↳EBT: Revenue -COGS -Operating Expenses -Other Expenses + Other Income↳EBIT: Revenue -COGS -Operating Expenses↳EBITDA: Revenue -COGS -Operating Expenses + Depreciation + Amortization3. Operational Insight:↳EBT: Insight into profitability before tax.↳EBIT: View of operating profitability excluding financing costs.↳EBITDA: Rough measure of profitability by adding back Depreciation and Amortization to EBIT.4. Degree of Separation from Net Income/Profit:↳EBT: Closer to net income, excluding only taxes.↳EBIT: Excludes effects of financing and taxes from operating profitability.↳EBITDA: Excludes effects of depreciation and amortization from EBIT5. Uses and Applications:↳EBT: Analyzing profitability and tax strategy.↳EBIT: Operating analysis, valuation, and company comparison.↳EBITDA: Valuation, investor analysis, and company comparison 6. Impact of Taxation and Financing:↳EBT: Highlights impact of taxation, not financing on total earnings.↳EBIT: Ignores tax and financing impacts, focusing on operating earnings.↳EBITDA: Ignores impact of taxation, financing, depreciation, and amortization on operating earnings.7. Key Formulas using these metrics:🎯EBT:↳Net Income = EBT -Taxes↳Effective Tax Rate = (Taxes / EBT) * 100🎯EBIT:↳Interest Coverage Ratio = EBIT / Interest Expense↳Return on Capital Employed = EBIT / (Total Assets -Current Liabilities)🎯EBITDA:↳EBITDA Margin = (EBITDA / Revenue) * 100↳Enterprise Value to EBITDA = Enterprise Value / EBITDA↳Free Cash Flow = EBITDA -CAPEX -Change in Net Working Capital -Taxes👉 What would you add? 👉 How do you use EBT, EBIT and EBITDA?----⚫ Check out my 5* on-demand video course 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬📌Grab my free viral finance cheat sheet pack: https://bit.ly/3T3CtPm➕ Follow me for strategic finance, business, and cash flow insights.

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    You might think you're in Sales, Marketing, Accounting, or Engineering...But you're not. You're in Finance.Here's why:Every business decision you make somehow invests or returns a company's capital.And that's what Finance is all about:Capital AllocationFor ShareholderValue Creation.Did you authorize the purchase of new equipment? You invested capital.Did you approve customer payment terms? You invested capital.Did you negotiate terms with a supplier? You invested capital.Did you transfer funds to repay a loan? You invested capital.Did you just call your best customer? You invested capital.Did you take your client to lunch? You invested capital.Did you just make a new hire? You invested capital.Did you buy back shares? You distributed capital.Did you pay dividends? You distributed capital.But how does investing or returning capital actually work in Finance?---💎If you like this post, you’ll love the strategic finance insights I publish weekly in my free newsletter. 💎Sign up and watch your knowledge & influence compound in boardrooms and beyond: https://bit.ly/4300Di8🎯Want a full resolution PDF of this sheet? 🙏 Please help me share this free resource! 🎯 Like, Comment to let me know, and Share this post. ---Finance deals with allocating capital to create value for shareholders. And it needs to make it worthwhile for them to keep capital invested.That means it needs to:🎯 realize sufficient returns on the invested capital🎯 return the capital back to shareholders when it runs out of good investment opportunities ➡️ Here are the 5 main business purposes for which finance allocates capital:1️⃣ Organic Growth↳ Expands business operations (e.g., investing in R&D, sales/marketing teams)↳ Increases operating cash flows for future distribution or reinvestment2️⃣ Retire Debt↳ Uses free cash flows to reduce debt obligations↳ Reduces leverage, enhance the business risk profile and increase future borrowing capacity for growth3️⃣ Inorganic Growth (Mergers and Acquisitions)↳ Allocates capital to acquire other operations rather than expanding existing ones↳ Utilizes company's expertise and resources to boost cash flows in acquired entities4️⃣ Share Buy-Backs↳ Reduce outstanding shares, improving financial ratios and share value↳ Direct cash flows outside the business, potentially limiting future growth capital5️⃣ Capital Distributions↳ Distribute free cash flows to investors as dividends↳ Provide a steady income stream to investors which may increase future appeal for your equity value 🎯What would you add?---🎓Visit my website for 5* masterclasses, viral checklists and cheat sheets➕ Follow me for strategic finance, business, and cash flow insights📌Grab my free finance cheat sheet pack: https://bit.ly/3T3CtPm♻ 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 for a full resolution copy, then download here: https://lnkd.in/dTfZwDQR

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  • Oana Labes, MBA, CPA

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    10 Strategic Cash Flow Mistakes and How to Fix Them.-------💎If you liked this post, you’ll love the strategic finance insights I publish weekly in my free newsletter. 💎Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4300Di8-------If you're making these, your organization and career might be at risk. 1️⃣ Mismatching Cash Flow Maturities↳ Utilizing short-term financing for long-term assets will lead to liquidity challenges.↳ Match up the cash flows on the assets being financed with cash flows on the debt2️⃣ Ignoring Foreign Exchange Rate Volatility↳ Trading in multiple foreign currencies can quickly erode profitability, liquidity, and leverage.↳ Design an active FX management strategy (forwards, options, etc) to safeguard against the adverse effects of currency fluctuations.3️⃣ Ignoring Interest Rate Volatility↳ Ignoring interest rate volatility can impact financing costs and cash flow predictability↳ Develop an appropriate financing strategy to manage exposures (swaps, options, etc) and protect cash flows.4️⃣ Misinterpreting Negative Operating Cash Flows↳ Negative operating cash flows aren't a negative sign unless they're due to underlying financial distress↳ Secure suitable working capital financing and avoid overtrading5️⃣ Relying on One-Time Positive Investing Cash Flows↳ Selling non-redundant assets to fund ongoing operating deficits can hide structural challenges↳ Resolve underlying profitability issues early and seek sustainable financing solutions6️⃣ No Growth Working Capital↳ Failing to adequately finance growth working capital can slow expansions and deplete cash reserves↳ Negotiate suitable working capital financing to fund current asset growth7️⃣ Mismanaging Payment Terms↳ Misaligning terms between suppliers and customers can lead to cash flow shortfalls and liquidity issues ↳ Negotiate terms that complement your cash flow cycle and secure backup financing 8️⃣ Failing to Leverage Cash Management Tools↳ Manual cash management exposes organizations to errors and suboptimal cash positions ↳ Integrate modern cash flow management tools including automated receivables and payables for improved cash flow visibility and control9️⃣ Neglecting Cash Flow Forecasting↳ Lack of comprehensive cash flow forecasting will prevent opportunities and introduce undue risk, threatening business viability↳ Use both short term rolling & long term cash flow forecasts 🔟 Ignoring Long-Term Strategic Implications of Cash Flow Decisions↳ Short-term cash management decisions significantly diminish growth ↳ Balance immediate liquidity with long-term vision to align day-to-day needs with long term goals ----▶Get my on-demand video course with 5* reviews: The Cash Flow Masterclass: https://bit.ly/3NZJvSO ➕ Follow me for strategic finance, business, and cash flow insights📌Grab my viral finance cheat sheet pack: https://bit.ly/3T3CtPm♻ 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 to share with your network ♻

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    100 Business KPIs.Because what gets measured gets done. Here are 25 x 4 to choose from, measure, and benchmark.To help your organization achieve its most strategic objectives.▷▷▷ Let me know in the comments: which of these are you regularly monitoring?➡️➡️➡️ If you’d like a full resolution PDF copy, please help me spread this free resource. Then download it here: https://lnkd.in/esMmdD5W➡️➡️ Like, Comment, Share with your network.➡️ And make sure you follow me so you don’t miss out on the next resource!▷ There are many ways to segment business measures and turn them into KPIs. ▷ Here are 4 essential business dimensions to consider:1. Finance KPIs2. Accounting KPIs3. Investing KPIs4. Cash Flow KPIs▷ Let’s break them down one by one:1. Finance KPIs:▶ measure the financial health and performance of the business. ▶ provide a snapshot of how well the company is utilizing resources to generate earnings and cash flow.▶ help companies make informed decisions on investments, cost management, and strategic planning 2. Accounting KPIs (some overlap exists with Finance KPIs):▶ measure the efficiency of the business operations, and the effectiveness of accounting processes, and internal controls. ▶ essential for operational planning, financial reporting, and ensuring the integrity of financial data.▶ help improve short term cash management, financial reporting accuracy, and compliance3. Investing KPIs▶ measure the performance of investment activities, focusing on returns and strategy effectiveness ▶ critical to assess how well invested capital is contributing to growth and strategic objectives.▶ help optimize investment portfolios, strategic asset allocations, and risk vs. return investment profiles4. Cash Flow KPIs▶ measure liquidity, cash management effectiveness and business risk ▶ critical to ensure the availability of sufficient cash to fund operations, invest in opportunities, and meet obligations.▶ enable companies to better manage working capital, anticipate cash shortages, and plan for sustainable financial growth.What would you add?PS. My favorite KPI is the Cash Flow Debt Service Ratio. What’s yours?-------➡️➡️➡️ Like, Comment, Share and get your full resolution PDF copy: https://lnkd.in/esMmdD5W ➡️➡️ Follow me to get my future posts.

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  • Oana Labes, MBA, CPA

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    Learn to Manage Cash.Here's why:To seize growth opportunitiesTo protect against critical business risksTo avoid financial distress and loss of business valueTo maximize shareholder value and return on investment.👉 Let me know in the comments, how do you forecast cash flow? 🎯 If you’d like a full resolution PDF copy, please help me spread this free resource.➡️➡️➡️ Like, Comment, Share with your network. Then download it here: https://lnkd.in/eYRG-QnG➡️➡️ And make sure you follow me so you don’t miss out on the next one!🎯 Cash comes into a business from 3 main sources:>> Operations>> Investments>> Financing🎯 Cash 1.0 is optimizing AR, AP and Inventory terms and turnover 🎯 Cash 2.0 is working on:>> Cash Flow Forecasting Techniques>> Effective Debt Management>> Capital Expenditure (CapEx) Cash Flow Optimization🎯 Here are 4 critical reasons to remember for managing cash:1️⃣ Seize Growth Opportunities:⚫ you need agility to capitalize on acquisitions, expansions, or innovation ⚫ cash reserves may not be sufficient, so having a strategy to attract the incremental cash you need will allow you to take quick action on opportunities and give you a competitive edge.2️⃣ Protect Against Critical Business Risks:⚫ cash acts as a financial buffer against economic downturns, demand fluctuations, or supply chain issues⚫ taking steps to ensure sufficient excess cash will help ensure your operational stability and strategic focus during unforeseen challenges3️⃣ Avoid Financial Distress and Loss of Business Value:⚫ effective cash management will prevent cash flow shortfalls, which are a leading cause of business failure.⚫ the worst time to get other people's money (bank, investors) is when you actually need it⚫ planning ahead will help you meet short-term liabilities (payroll, suppliers, debts) and avoid eroding business value and reputation.4️⃣ Maximize Shareholder Value and Return on Investment:⚫ strategic investments and operational decisions that drive long-term growth and profitability require advanced cash flow planning⚫ managing cash effectively will always position companies favorable to generate and provide superior returns to shareholdersWhat would you add?PS. What was your favorite part?---➡️➡️➡️ Grab my free strategic finance sheets: https://lnkd.in/e4T6-6-5➡️➡️ Like, Comment, Share for full resolution PDF copy of this cheat sheet. You can download it here: https://lnkd.in/eYRG-QnG➡️ Follow me to know about my future posts

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  • Oana Labes, MBA, CPA

    Transformative Finance Strategist, Coach & Speaker | Empowering CEOs & CFOs to Win with Decision-Ready Dashboards, Finance-Ready Strategies and Boardroom-Ready Reports | Founder & President, Financiario

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    I was named #3 in in the Top 10 Linkedin Female Canada.But I wasn't born in here...I'm an immigrant.I started posting about Finance & Accounting on Linkedin a year ago.Since then I reached over 100 million people with my posts & infographics.Over 326,000 of you here follow me, and 40,000 read my weekly newsletter.Linkedin has changed the game for me.A year ago I was an entrepreneur on a mission.Today I am an entrepreneur on an even bigger mission.And I'm representing for millions of professional girls and women.Because if you can see her, you can be her!Thank you Favikon for this recognition. And congratulations to the inspiring ladies in this fantastic lineup. Arlene Dickinson, Katy McFee, Dora Vanourek,Erica Rankin,Maame De-Heer,Rita Orji, PhD, Chrystia Freeland,April Dunford, Gabrielle B.--------➕ Follow me for strategic finance, business, and cash flow insights📌Grab my viral Finance infographics: https://lnkd.in/eC_ihy6y♻ 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 to inspire your network ♻

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    You can’t manage what you don’t measure. And you can’t measure what you don’t understand. The Revenue to Cash waterfall will help you visualize,So you can understand, measure, and manage your performance.--------⏬⏬⏬💎Increase your impact and influence. Get this sheet and many other finance gems in my weekly newsletter💎 Sign up and get a bonus pack as a welcome gift: https://lnkd.in/eC_ihy6y⏬⏬⏬--------🎯 The Revenue to Cash waterfall chart is a strategic tool that breaks down the story of your organization’s liquidity from opening to closing balance.✓It helps you connect the Income Statement and Balance Sheet with the Cash Flow Statement. ✓ Each step can reveal efficiencies or red flags that may impact financial health. 🎯 Here’s how to put it together:➡️ Opening Cash Balance: start with the initial cash available to the business.➡️ Revenue: add total revenue from goods sold or services provided as this is the influx that triggers the waterfall.➡️ Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): subtract the direct costs attributable to the production of the goods sold.➡️ Depreciation and Amortization: subtract this non-cash expense that reflects the consumption of assets over time. We’ll add it back later.➡️ Operating Expenses: subtract the costs necessary to maintain the business's operational capabilities➡️ Interest Expense: subtract the cost of borrowing ➡️ Tax Expense: subtract the cash paid for taxes ➡️ Net Income: arrive at the net income for the period, which is also the starting point for making critical adjustments that will link it to the closing cash balance for the period➡️ Depreciation and Amortization (Adjustment): add back non-cash expenses previously subtracted➡️ Changes in Working Capital: → subtract the cash still not collected from sales revenues→ subtract cash paid for purchases not yet sold and sitting in inventory→ add the cash not yet paid to suppliers and other third parties.➡️ Investments: subtract net investments for long-term assets➡️ Net Payments for Debt and Equity: subtract net cash paid for debt or equity➡️ Closing Cash Balance: calculate the ending point of the waterfall, representing the final cash position for the period→ Which step do you find most challenging?----------------------🎯 This is a snapshot from my 5*, on-demand video course The Cash Flow Masterclass. Visit my website to enroll for lifetime access or watch a free webinar to learn more strategic cash flow insights. ----------------------🎯 Join 100 million and Follow Me for Strategic Finance & Business Insights▶Visit my website for 5* masterclasses, checklists and cheat sheets🎁 Subscribe here for your welcome gift: https://lnkd.in/eC_ihy6y♻ 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 to share and help your network

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Oana Labes, MBA, CPA on LinkedIn: Understanding Free Cash Flow is Hard.But Essential.What is it?Why… | 24 comments (60)

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Oana Labes, MBA, CPA on LinkedIn: Understanding Free Cash Flow is Hard.

But Essential.

What is it?

Why… | 24 comments (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between cash flow and free cash flow? ›

Comparing Cash Flow vs. Free Cash Flow. Cash flow is seen as a straightforward measure of the net cash that came into or left the business during a given period of time. Free cash flow is a figure that tells investors how much cash your business has on hand after funding its operating and investing needs.

Why is free cash flow important? ›

Why free cash flow is important. The “free” in free cash flow means how much a business has in its coffers to spend. Considered a reliable measure of business performance, free cash flow provides a glimpse of how much cash your business really has to draw on.

What is the free cash flow theory? ›

The free cash flow theory says that danger- ously high debt levels will increase value, despite the threat of financial distress, when a firm's operating cash flow significantly exceeds its profitable investment opportunities. The free cash flow theory is designed for mature firms that are prone to overinvest.

How is free cash flows FCF defined in Quizlet? ›

Free cash flow is defined as: Cash flows available for payments to stockholders and debt holders of a firm after the firm has made investments in assets necessary to sustain the ongoing operations of the firm.

Is free cash flow better than operating cash flow? ›

Free cash flow helps estimate the current value of a company, while operating cash flow can tell business leaders how much revenue their core operations generate. Executives might use free cash flow to get a sense of how much the business might be worth to an investor or buyer.

Is free cash flow good or bad? ›

The best things in life are free, and that holds true for cash flow. Smart investors love companies that produce plenty of free cash flow (FCF). It signals a company's ability to pay down debt, pay dividends, buy back stock, and facilitate the growth of the business.

What is not included in free cash flow? ›

FCF excludes non-cash items like depreciation and amortization (assessed for only tax purposes to account for the values of assets paid for in the past), changes in inventory values, and stock-based employee compensation.

Why do investors like free cash flow? ›

Free cash flow can be used to expand operations, bring on additional employees or invest in additional assets, and it can be put toward acquisitions or paid out in dividends to shareholders.

How can free cash flow be improved? ›

10 ways on how to improve cash flow
  1. Send invoices on time. ...
  2. Remind your clients and customers to clear your invoices. ...
  3. Take advantage of cash flow forecasting. ...
  4. Maintain a leasing before buying policy. ...
  5. Try getting advance payments. ...
  6. Rethink operational expenses. ...
  7. Manage your inventory.
Jul 6, 2023

Is interest income included in free cash flow? ›

Free cash flow can be calculated in various ways, depending on audience and available data. A common measure is to take the earnings before interest and taxes, add depreciation and amortization, and then subtract taxes, changes in working capital and capital expenditure.

What is a good free cash flow ratio? ›

A “good” free cash flow conversion rate would typically be consistently around or above 100%, as it indicates efficient working capital management. If the FCF conversion rate of a company is in excess of 100%, that implies operational efficiency.

What is free cash flow vs EBITDA? ›

FCF allows investors to assess whether a company has excess cash available for these purposes, whereas EBITDA does not provide this insight. FCF is often considered a more conservative and resilient measure of a company's financial health. It accounts for the sustainability of a company's cash generation over time.

Can you calculate free cash flow? ›

The free cash flow formula is calculated as operating income minus capital expenses. It can be used to determine whether a company has sufficient funds to cover its short-term financial obligations or if it needs to look for external financing sources.

What is the free cash flow per revenue? ›

The Free Cash Flow to Sales, or FCF / S, is a measure of how effectively a company generates surplus Cash Flow from Revenues. It is calculated by dividing the Free Cash Flow by Revenue.

Why is it called free cash flow? ›

Free Cash Flow can be easily derived from the statement of cash flows by taking operating cash flow and deducting capital expenditures. FCF gets its name from the fact that it's the amount of cash flow “free” (available) for discretionary spending by management/shareholders.

What is the difference between FCF and cash balance? ›

Anup, Ending Cash Balance is a Balance sheet item. It indicates how much cash the company has in its bank account. Free Cash flow is a number that is calculated using income statement items. It indicates how much cash the company generates after paying off all its expenses.

What are the two types of free cash flow? ›

Types of Free Cash Flow
  • Free cash flow to the firm (FCFF) It indicates the ability of a firm to produce cash which factors in its capital expenditures. ...
  • Free cash flow to equity (FCFE) It is the cash flow that is made available for the company's equity shareholders and is also known as levered cash flow.

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