What is Free Cash Flow? [REVISED] Meaning, Calculations, Variations, and IFRS Differences

You’ll learn all about Free Cash Flow in this tutorial, including what it means, how to calculate it, how it’s different under IFRS, and how some key variations, such as Unlevered Free Cash Flow and Levered Free Cash Flow, differ.
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Table of Contents:
0:00 Introduction
1:24 Part 1: Calculations and Basic Meaning
6:49 Part 2: Different Variations of Free Cash Flow
9:26 Part 3: Complications and Differences Under IFRS
13:38 Part 4: Company Analysis: Free Cash Flow in Real Life
18:14 Recap and Summary
Lesson Outline:
The basic definition of Free Cash Flow, or FCF, is Cash Flow from Operations minus Capital Expenditures (CapEx).
Free Cash Flow tells you how much cash a company is generating after paying for the cash cost of its funding (e.g., interest on Debt), paying to maintain its capital assets, and paying for other items required to run the business, such as Inventory.
You exclude other CFS line items, such as Dividends, because they are non-recurring or “not required” to keep the business running.
And it's pointless to factor in Equity and Debt issuances and repayments because FCF is supposed to tell us whether or not the company needs these outside capital issuances in the first place.
Generally, it’s best for FCF to be positive and growing rather than negative and declining or stagnant.
If FCF is negative for a prolonged period, the company must rely on outside financing to stay alive, which is a dangerous state to be in.
It’s best if FCF is growing because its sales are growing, and it is becoming more efficient (higher margins).
It’s less positive if the company’s FCF is growing because it keeps cutting costs or reducing its CapEx spending.
And it’s a real warning sign if FCF is growing, but the company’s sales are falling and it’s “playing games” with Working Capital, Depreciation, CapEx, or non-core business activities.
Target is not a “growth company” here, but its FCF is positive and growing, in-line with sales growth, and its margins stay in a similar range each year. Its declining CapEx relative to CFO is a bit concerning since that explains some of the growth here.
FCF Variations
Unlevered FCF (UFCF) = Free Cash Flow to Firm (FCFF): You modify FCF to exclude or add back Net Interest Expense and Preferred Dividends and Other Income/Expenses.
Unlevered FCF (UFCF): Represents the core business’s cash flow on a capital structure-neutral basis - widely used in the DCF.
Levered Free Cash Flow (LFCF) = Free Cash Flow to Equity (FCFE): It’s similar to normal “FCF,” but you also factor in Debt Issuances/Repayments here (unclear whether it should be all, just mandatory repayments, etc.).
We do not like to use the LFCF metric because of the disagreements over the definition and the fact that UFCF is better in valuations and FCF is better for quick analysis.
IFRS Differences
Issue #1: IFRS Cash Flow Statements do not necessarily start with Net Income, so “Cash Flow from Operations” might be wrong!
If it doesn’t deduct the Net Interest Expense, Preferred Dividends, the full Lease Expense, etc., then you will have to adjust it.
Issue #2: There is “Lease Depreciation” on the financial statements under IFRS, so when you add back D&A to FCF, UFCF, etc., you cannot add back this portion of the D&A!
We do this for Fortum, a Finnish company, because a small portion of the D&A on its CFS corresponds to the Depreciation element of the Operating Lease Expense.
Analysis of Best Buy and Zendesk
Best Buy has positive FCF each year, and it grows by 10 - 15% in Years 2 and 3.
But it’s also far above the revenue growth rate of 1-2%, and it’s partially because of lower CapEx (and rising margins?).
With Zendesk, FCF is also positive and growing, and at different rates than revenue.
But a major driver seems to be the Change in WC, as well as the company’s high Stock-Based Compensation add-back.
Neither company is “doing poorly,” but Zendesk is far less sustainable than it appears at first glance because its SBC is almost bigger than its Net Income (which is quite negative).
And Best Buy is clearly a sustainable business, but its FCF growth might be a bit overstated because of the issue with CapEx and changing margins.

Пікірлер: 45

  • @WhiteCarBlackWheels
    @WhiteCarBlackWheels3 жыл бұрын

    ah yes, my favorite video of the month. thanks for always keeping me versed on financial terms & applications! happy new year

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @juanhidalgo6858
    @juanhidalgo68583 жыл бұрын

    As always, thanks for this practical & straightforward tutorial. Great material

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @visionarypine1
    @visionarypine13 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for taking the time to do a refresh! Super helpful and informative!

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @thenewaudi
    @thenewaudi2 жыл бұрын

    Better than last vid, thank you

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @followJesus153
    @followJesus1532 жыл бұрын

    Clear and Crisp! Gracias BIWS

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @MaGycPreDator
    @MaGycPreDator3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much!! Very clear Could you make a video about the Treasury Stock Method please? I don't understand why we deduct the repurchased shares after adding shares from in the money options in the calculation of NOSH fully diluted Thanks

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks. There isn't really that much to the Treasury Stock Method. You deduct the repurchased shares because you assume the company repurchases some of the newly created shares using the proceeds it receives from the employees who pay to exercise their options (no, that doesn't necessarily happen in real life, but it's a way to standardize the calculation). It would probably be a 3-minute tutorial.

  • @MrHolpGD
    @MrHolpGD3 жыл бұрын

    Hi, I really like your videos, these are amazing and helps a lot during my daily analyst job. One question, maybe it is not a really good one, but could you explain to me, how the additions of right of use assets behaves? I mean should we count it to CAPEX, or not during free cash flow calculations? I know, that somehow we should clear FCF from it, but not know the way. I tend to believe that rent expenses have already included it, but eg I faced with the right of use assets in cash flow from investing activities. Many thanks!

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    They don't factor into the calculation because Additions to Right-of-Use Assets are offset by a corresponding increase in the Lease Liabilities. So there should be no net impact on FCF just from a company signing a new lease.

  • @dmitrystikheev3384
    @dmitrystikheev33843 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the excellent explanation. I am wondering if you could help me out. I am planning to enrol in some of your courses provided on the BIWS web site. As I am aware, your team provides an attractive discount if a client purchases 3 courses at once (excel, powerpoint and modelling). However, I am not quite sure I need all of them. I would be glad if you answer the following question. If I purchase 3-courses pack with a discount and find out that I do not need one of the courses, will I be able to request a refund only for this very course? Or it applies only for the whole pack? Thank you in advance for the response. Keep up with excellent content. Love your lucid explanations!!!

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! If you find that you do not need all the courses in the Premium package, yes, you can request a refund for the one or two courses you do not need, but you would receive a refund based on the discounted price of that course, not the full price, since the courses are discounted in that package.

  • @dmitrystikheev3384

    @dmitrystikheev3384

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@financialmodeling Thanks! Sure, no arbitrage;)

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@dmitrystikheev3384 Sure, let us know if you have any additional questions.

  • @Black182heart
    @Black182heart3 жыл бұрын

    Hey Most Companies in my country give bouns shares to the shareholders rather than cash dividend. Some give both. I know the general idea and effects of stock dividend and its impact on the company's financial statements. But it will be very helpful if you could give your detailed view on the topic.

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, we may cover that in the future

  • @tedjohnson4719
    @tedjohnson47193 жыл бұрын

    I am a 16 year old that is interested in finance(specifically investment banking and PE), and was wondering if I used and fully understood all of your content alone, would this be relatively adequate in the investment banking and PE industry(assuming I also have a decent understanding of excel and how to gather financial data). In other words would taking courses like macro and micro economics and accounting be necessary, and if so how much of an impact would it have? thank you for your content btw I find it very complex but at the same time rewarding when I fully understand the concept in question

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    I would recommend reading this article first to find out about the requirements: www.mergersandinquisitions.com/how-to-get-into-investment-banking/ Your major/classes matter far less than your internships.

  • @tedjohnson4719

    @tedjohnson4719

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@financialmodeling great thank you!!

  • @KrishanSingh-gz9op
    @KrishanSingh-gz9op2 жыл бұрын

    I have came across 3 different formulas for calculating Reinvestments,:- Reinvestment 1= capex+WC Reinvestment 2:- g/invested capital Reinvestment 3:- change in sales/sales to capital ratio I only know about the first one, which is used in calculating FCFF or FCFE Can you please tell me the difference b/w the second & third one & when, which and where they are used.

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    No one really uses the 2nd or 3rd ones. Metrics like Invested Capital are more useful in analysis of key metrics and ratios such as Return on Invested Capital (ROIC). These ratios can be useful when benchmarking companies and deciding whether long-term cash flow/3-statement projections make logical sense.

  • @caleblim1692
    @caleblim16922 жыл бұрын

    Why doesn’t my equity value derived from FCFE and FCFF the same? And what are the conditions to make it equal? I guess it has something to do with tax shield, interest rate and principal payments.

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    It's never going to be the same because the value of the items in the TEV bridge will never equal the PV of the associated income and expenses exactly. Instead of trying to make them equivalent, jus use FCFF and forget that FCFE exists... no one cares outside of occasional interview questions.

  • @hemanthrajakuncham
    @hemanthrajakuncham2 жыл бұрын

    Could you please answer to my question: Why are we subtracting the Capex to arrive at the FCF?... I mean there are times where we have to raise funds (debt capital) or utilise the existing liquid assets (like using balance available in bank account) for purchasing or even for funding a major repair to a machinery... In such a case deducting such a Capex from the operating cash flow may give a wrong idea right?... (As the FCF may give a -ve figure even when the balance sheet has huge cash and bank balances as the Capex is funded out of existing bank balances or out of new debt financing which is again not considered in FCF calculation)... Thanks for the video btw :)

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    CapEx is a requirement to run most businesses. How a company funds the CapEx is irrelevant in a valuation context because you're usually trying to value the company on a capital structure-neutral basis (Enterprise Value).

  • @shivangitripathi7323
    @shivangitripathi73232 жыл бұрын

    Question : Which will give higher valuation : Free cash flow to the firm or Free cash flow to Equity?

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    Impossible to say because it depends on the company's debt. FCFE tends to produce lower values for companies with very high debt burdens because the high interest expense and principal repayments reduce FCFE, and the higher Debt balance also increases Cost of Equity.

  • @lelioshmelio
    @lelioshmelio2 жыл бұрын

    Many thanks. I have one question: why we should add back other income/expenses to get FCFF from FCF? FCF also excludes them, or i'm wrong since it goes from NI?

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    Because FCF deducts these items, as it starts with Net Income, and Net Income deducts Other Expenses and adds Other Income.

  • @lelioshmelio

    @lelioshmelio

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@financialmodeling but FCF = CFO - Capex. When calculating CFO, we adjust net income by eliminating the effect of other income/expense because it's non-operating income/expenses. So why should we do this operation once again additionally? The indirect CFS method has already done it for us)

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@lelioshmelio You don't eliminate Other Income / Expenses when calculating CFO. There are no adjustments to reverse those items. There's an adjustment only if some of them are non-cash because the CFO section adjusts for all non-cash items. If "Other Income / Expenses" consists of something like rental income from a side business, it is not reversed within CFO.

  • @lelioshmelio

    @lelioshmelio

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@financialmodeling in this case isn't it a mistake to not reserve these items? Rental cash income should be shown in CFI section then. In most Russian financial statements I can see that other cash income/expenses are reversed in CFO, and then they go into CFI. Or there is any other way to solve this issue?

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@lelioshmelio It's not a mistake, it's just an accounting/presentation difference. Companies worldwide follow different standards. This line item is so small for the vast majority of companies that it's not worth thinking about in detail... focus on the key drivers.

  • @paulbobby7955
    @paulbobby79553 жыл бұрын

    Isn’t levered free cash flow needed for LBO Modelling?

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    3 жыл бұрын

    No. An LBO uses "Free Cash Flow" i.e. Cash Flow from Operations minus CapEx, as one part of the formula to determine Cash Flow Available for Debt Repayment. You do end up subtracting debt principal repayments in an LBO, so in that sense, you could argue that it uses Levered FCF, but it's not an input to the model. At most, it's supplemental information or part of the output.

  • @paulbobby7955

    @paulbobby7955

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@financialmodeling right, so for a DCF you’d use unlevered free cash flow because you’re calculating the enterprise value based on this, but for an LBO you’d use levered free cash flow because you want to calculate the cash available for debt repayment

  • @sonerguney3225
    @sonerguney3225 Жыл бұрын

    Can we download this super excel file?

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    Жыл бұрын

    Click "more" and scroll to the bottom.

  • @sonerguney3225

    @sonerguney3225

    Жыл бұрын

    Unfortunately there is no more options to download the excel file. Can you please recheck? Many thanks. ❤

  • @financialmodeling

    @financialmodeling

    Жыл бұрын

    @@sonerguney3225 youtube-breakingintowallstreet-com.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/105-26-What-is-Free-Cash-Flow.xlsx