Cash Flow Statement
Quarterly Data
The cash flow statement provides information about a company cash receipts and cash payments during an accounting period, showing how these cash flows link the ending cash balance to the beginning balance shown on the company balance sheet.
The cash flow statement consists of three parts: cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities, and cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities.
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-03-31).
Operating cash flow exhibits a significant upward trajectory over the analyzed period, evolving from a range of 228 million to 571 million US dollars in 2017-2018 to consistently exceeding 800 million US dollars from late 2019 through early 2022. This growth is not solely driven by net income, which remained relatively stable between 200 million and 450 million US dollars for most of the period, but is heavily influenced by substantial non-cash adjustments.
- Operating Cash Flow Dynamics
- A structural shift in cash generation is observed starting in the third quarter of 2019. Net cash provided by operating activities surged from approximately 206 million US dollars in June 2019 to over 1 billion US dollars by September 2019. This increase is primarily attributable to a sharp rise in amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, which jumped from 44 million US dollars in June 2019 to 387 million US dollars in September 2019, eventually stabilizing above 500 million US dollars per quarter. This indicates that while accounting earnings are suppressed by amortization, the actual cash-generating capacity of the business expanded significantly.
- Investment Patterns and Capital Expenditure
- Investing activities are dominated by a massive capital outlay in September 2019, with payments for the acquisition of businesses totaling 16.058 billion US dollars. Outside of this transformative event, capital expenditures for software and other intangibles show a consistent upward trend, increasing from approximately 60-80 million US dollars per quarter in 2017 to over 300 million US dollars per quarter by 2021. This suggests a sustained increase in investment toward internal technology and infrastructure.
- Financing Strategy and Capital Allocation
- The funding of the 2019 acquisition is evident in the financing activities, with debt proceeds totaling over 9 billion US dollars in both June and September 2019. Subsequent quarters show a cyclical pattern of debt issuance and repayment to manage the balance sheet. Concurrently, there is a consistent and aggressive commitment to returning capital to shareholders through the purchase of treasury stock. Share repurchases frequently exceeded 400 million US dollars per quarter, peaking at over 1 billion US dollars in the final quarter of 2021, demonstrating a priority on share price support and equity reduction.
The overall financial profile reveals a transition from a moderate-growth entity to a much larger organization following a major acquisition. The current state is characterized by high operating cash flows fueled by significant non-cash amortization, a disciplined but heavy investment in capitalized software, and a financing strategy that balances substantial debt obligations with aggressive share buyback programs.
AI Ask an analyst for more
Hi, I’m an AI-powered financial analyst at Stock Analysis on Net.
Without a user account, I tend to respond rather slowly.
How can I help you?