Free cash flow (FCF)
Free cash flow is the cash a company has left after running and reinvesting in its business — real, spendable money available to pay down debt, dividends, and buybacks.
Free cash flow (FCF) is the cash generated by a company’s operations minus the capital expenditures needed to maintain and grow it. Unlike accounting profit, it is actual cash — the money genuinely available to repay debt, pay dividends, buy back stock, or reinvest without raising outside financing.
Investors prize FCF because it is harder to flatter with non-cash accounting adjustments than reported earnings are. A company that consistently converts profit into cash is usually healthier than one whose earnings never turn into cash. FCF can be reported in absolute dollars or as a percentage of revenue (FCF margin).
stocks-llm derives absolute free cash flow from SEC XBRL filing data where available (operating cash flow minus capital expenditures), shown with its as-of date. Capital-intensive businesses may legitimately show low or negative FCF while investing heavily.
Highest absolute free cash flow in the catalog
| Company | Free cash flow (TTM) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $98.8B |
| 2 | Nvidia (NVDA) | $96.7B |
| 3 | Alphabet Inc. (Class C) (GOOG) | $73.3B |
| 4 | Alphabet Inc. (Class A) (GOOGL) | $73.3B |
| 5 | Microsoft (MSFT) | $71.6B |
Live from the catalog, as of 2026-07-21 — delayed data from SEC EDGAR + Finnhub.
See more terms in the stocks-llm glossary.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. This is an educational definition, not a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Metrics on stocks-llm are delayed data and may be missing or stale. Always verify information independently and consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decision.