Cash Flow Statement

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.

Meta Platforms Inc., consolidated cash flow statement

US$ in millions

12 months ended:	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020
Net income	62,360)	39,098)	23,200)	39,370)	29,146)
Depreciation and amortization	15,498)	11,178)	8,686)	7,967)	6,862)
Share-based compensation	16,690)	14,027)	11,992)	9,164)	6,536)
Deferred income taxes	(4,738)	131)	(3,286)	609)	(1,192)
Impairment charges for facilities consolidation	383)	2,432)	2,218)	—)	—)
Data center assets abandonment	—)	(224)	1,341)	—)	—)
Other	87)	635)	641)	(127)	118)
Accounts receivable	(1,485)	(2,399)	231)	(3,110)	(1,512)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(698)	559)	162)	(1,750)	135)
Other assets	(270)	(80)	(106)	(349)	(34)
Accounts payable	373)	51)	210)	1,436)	(17)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	323)	5,081)	4,300)	3,532)	(768)
Other liabilities	2,805)	624)	886)	941)	(527)
Changes in assets and liabilities	1,048)	3,836)	5,683)	700)	(2,723)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities	28,968)	32,015)	27,275)	18,313)	9,601)
Net cash provided by operating activities	91,328)	71,113)	50,475)	57,683)	38,747)
Purchases of property and equipment	(37,256)	(27,045)	(31,186)	(18,567)	(15,115)
Purchases of marketable debt securities	(25,542)	(2,982)	(9,626)	(30,407)	(33,930)
Sales and maturities of marketable debt securities	15,789)	6,184)	13,158)	42,586)	25,771)
Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets	(270)	(629)	(1,312)	(851)	(388)
Other investing activities	129)	(23)	(4)	(331)	(6,397)
Net cash used in investing activities	(47,150)	(24,495)	(28,970)	(7,570)	(30,059)
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards	(13,770)	(7,012)	(3,595)	(5,515)	(3,564)
Repurchases of Class A common stock	(30,125)	(19,774)	(27,956)	(44,537)	(6,272)
Payments for dividends and dividend equivalents	(5,072)	—)	—)	—)	—)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt, net	10,432)	8,455)	9,921)	—)	—)
Principal payments on finance leases	(1,969)	(1,058)	(850)	(677)	(604)
Other financing activities	(277)	(111)	344)	1)	148)
Net cash used in financing activities	(40,781)	(19,500)	(22,136)	(50,728)	(10,292)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	(786)	113)	(638)	(474)	279)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	2,611)	27,231)	(1,269)	(1,089)	(1,325)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of the period	42,827)	15,596)	16,865)	17,954)	19,279)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of the period	45,438)	42,827)	15,596)	16,865)	17,954)

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).

Net Income

The net income exhibited fluctuations over the reported years. After an increase from approximately $29.1 billion in 2020 to about $39.4 billion in 2021, it declined markedly to $23.2 billion in 2022, followed by a recovery in 2023 to nearly $39.1 billion and a significant rise to $62.4 billion in 2024, indicating strong profitability growth in the latest period.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expenses showed a consistent upward trend, rising from $6.9 billion in 2020 to roughly $15.5 billion in 2024, which may reflect increased investments in capital assets and intangible assets over time.

Share-based Compensation

Share-based compensation steadily increased from $6.5 billion in 2020 to $16.7 billion in 2024, suggesting a growing cost associated with equity incentives, possibly aimed at retaining and motivating employees.

Deferred Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes displayed volatility, with negative and positive values alternating across years. It started at a negative $1.2 billion in 2020, peaked positively at $609 million in 2021, and reached a low of negative $4.7 billion in 2024, indicating the timing differences in tax liabilities and assets are fluctuating.

Impairment Charges and Data Center Assets Abandonment

Impairment charges for facilities consolidation commenced in 2022, with $2.2 billion recognized, slightly increasing in 2023, then decreasing sharply in 2024. Data center assets abandonment arose in 2022 with $1.3 billion, turned negative in 2023 implying reversals or recoveries, and remained minimal in 2024, reflecting some operational restructuring and asset write-downs during this period.

Working Capital Components

Accounts Receivable: Accounts receivable showed mixed movements, with negative changes in 2020 and 2021, a positive adjustment in 2022, then negative again in 2023 and 2024, indicating variability in collections or sales timing.
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets: These assets experienced negative shifts in 2021 and 2024, positive changes in 2022 and 2023, showing irregular trends possibly due to varying advances or timing of payments.
Accounts Payable: Accounts payable increased moderately in 2021, remained stable with smaller changes in subsequent years, suggesting a relatively consistent payment cycle to suppliers.
Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities: There was a notable rise in accrued expenses and other current liabilities from $-768 million in 2020 to above $5 billion in 2023, then a decrease in 2024, indicating heightened accrued obligations peaking in 2023.
Other Liabilities: Other liabilities increased significantly in 2024 to $2.8 billion, after moderate changes in preceding years, which may represent new or reclassified liabilities.

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities saw a general upward trend, from $38.7 billion in 2020 to $91.3 billion in 2024, reflecting improved operational cash flow performance. Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash increased steadily, supporting this trend.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities showed significant variability. The outflows peaked in 2020 and 2024, with large purchases of property and equipment rising sharply to $37.3 billion in 2024. Purchases and sales of marketable debt securities fluctuated, with notable reductions in purchases followed by varied sales amounts. Acquisitions of businesses and intangible assets decreased over time, implying less spending on external growth compared to capital expenditures.

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities was considerable in most years, especially in 2021 with outflows exceeding $50 billion, driven primarily by share repurchases and taxes paid related to equity awards. Share repurchases declined after 2021 but increased slightly in 2024. Dividends payments appeared only in 2024. Long-term debt issuance occurred mainly after 2021, partially offsetting other financing outflows. Principal payments on finance leases increased annually.

Cash Position and Effects of Exchange Rate Changes

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash declined from 2020 through 2022, then surged in 2023 and slightly increased further in 2024, largely due to strong operational cash flow. The effect of exchange rate changes was generally negative except for a gain in 2023, exerting some pressure on overall cash balances.

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Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META)

Cash Flow Statement