Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Inventory Turnover

The inventory turnover ratio exhibits considerable volatility over the observed periods, generally fluctuating between approximately 15 and 27 from 2018 through mid-2023. However, starting from late 2023, there is a marked and rapid increase, peaking at nearly 98 in the last period. This sharp rise indicates a significant acceleration in inventory movement, suggesting improved efficiency or change in inventory management policies.

Receivables Turnover

Receivables turnover maintains a relatively stable pattern with values oscillating between 4 and 7 throughout the time frame. No significant upward or downward trend is observed, indicating consistent management of accounts receivable and stable credit policies with customers.

Payables Turnover

Payables turnover shows a mild declining trend from 2019 through 2024, with values mostly falling from around 5 to close to 3. This suggests a lengthening of the payment period to suppliers, potentially indicating extended credit terms or slower payment practices.

Working Capital Turnover

The working capital turnover ratio demonstrates a steady and consistent upward trend starting near 1.2 in 2019, rising gradually to values above 2.6 by 2023. A pronounced spike is evident in late 2023, reaching values above 8 briefly, before slightly declining but remaining elevated compared to earlier years. This indicates increasingly efficient use of working capital to generate sales, especially noticeable in recent quarters.

Average Inventory Processing Period

Days inventory outstanding remains relatively stable with some fluctuations, generally staying between 14 and 24 days over most periods. A significant decrease occurs in late 2023 and 2024, dropping to as low as 4 days. This aligns with the rise in inventory turnover and reflects faster inventory processing.

Average Receivable Collection Period

The average collection period displays cyclical variations, oscillating between mid-50s and mid-80s days without a clear long-term trend. The consistent fluctuations suggest seasonal or operational cyclicality in receivables management rather than systematic changes.

Operating Cycle

The operating cycle generally remains between 70 and 103 days, reflecting a stable duration from inventory acquisition through receivables collection. Minor fluctuations correspond to movements in inventory and receivables days but no persistent directional trend is observed.

Average Payables Payment Period

The payables payment period reveals a slight increasing trend, moving from approximately 70 days in early years to over 100 days in several periods from 2021 onward. The rising payment days correspond to the decline in payables turnover, suggesting longer payment durations extended by the company.

Cash Conversion Cycle

The cash conversion cycle shows a pronounced decline over time, starting at about 24 days and eventually turning negative from mid-2019 onward, reaching as low as -41 days in recent periods. This negative cash conversion cycle indicates that the company collects cash from sales before paying its suppliers, enhancing liquidity and operational cash flow efficiency.

The analysis of the quarterly financial data reveals notable trends in key performance indicators, specifically in the areas of cost of revenue, inventories, and inventory turnover over the periods presented.

Cost of Revenue

The cost of revenue demonstrated a generally increasing pattern from September 2018 to the latest quarters in 2025. While fluctuations occurred, the overall trajectory indicated growth, with costs rising from 9,905 million US dollars initially to over 21,919 million US dollars in later periods. There were occasional dips and rises, suggesting variations potentially linked to operational scaling or market conditions.

Inventories

Inventories displayed a more volatile trend across the quarters. Beginning at 3,614 million US dollars in September 2018, inventory levels declined significantly in some periods, reaching lows around 848 million US dollars by the most recent quarter. Interspersed with these lows were intermittent increases, but the general trend leaned towards reduction over time. This variability may reflect inventory management strategies, demand fluctuations, or supply chain dynamics affecting stock levels.

Inventory Turnover

Inventory turnover ratios, where available, exhibit substantial variation, ranging broadly from approximately 15 to over 98 times. Early reported turnover values show moderate levels around 16 to 26, with a notable sharp increase in more recent periods, peaking near 98.47. This sharp rise in turnover rate demonstrates an accelerated rate of inventory movement, which may indicate improved efficiency in inventory management or changes in sales velocity. The high turnover figures in the latest quarters suggest a significant enhancement in how quickly inventory is converted to sales or revenue.

In summary, the company’s cost of revenue has trended upwards steadily, indicating growth in operational scale or cost base. Conversely, inventory levels have shown a declining and volatile pattern, while inventory turnover ratios have improved substantially, especially in recent periods, suggesting enhanced inventory efficiency. These trends together may reflect strategic shifts in inventory management and operational scaling within the company.

The quarterly financial data reveals several trends and patterns over the observed periods.

Revenue

Revenue exhibited a general upward trajectory from the start to the end of the period. Beginning at approximately $29.1 billion, revenue showed fluctuations but grew consistently overall, reaching close to $70.1 billion by the end of the data series. Notable increases occurred in several quarters, especially from late 2020 through early 2025, indicating strong financial performance and possible business expansion or increased sales volume.

Accounts Receivable, Net of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The accounts receivable figures showed considerable volatility throughout the periods. Values rose sharply in some quarters—for example, jumps were noted in periods ending June 2019, June 2021, June 2022, and June 2024—often surpassing $40 billion, whereas other quarters showed significant decreases. This pattern suggests fluctuations in credit sales and collections cycles, impacting cash flow timing. The substantial increase in accounts receivable in certain quarters may indicate extended credit terms or delayed collections.

Receivables Turnover Ratio

The receivables turnover ratio demonstrates variability, with distinct decreases and increases over the observed periods. The ratio fluctuated between roughly 4.3 and 6.8, reflecting changes in how quickly receivables are converted into cash. Lower turnover ratios correspond with quarters where accounts receivable rose markedly, signaling slower collections. Conversely, higher turnover ratios were observed in quarters with relatively lower receivables balances, indicating improved collection efficiency. The alternating pattern suggests periods of stretched and contracted credit terms or changing payment behaviors of customers.

Overall, the company displayed strong revenue growth while managing fluctuating accounts receivable balances and varying efficiency in collections, as reflected in the turnover ratios. The data indicates the importance of closely monitoring receivables management to sustain cash flow amid growing sales volumes.

The financial data reveals notable trends and fluctuations over the observed periods, particularly in cost of revenue, accounts payable, and payables turnover ratio.

Cost of Revenue

This metric exhibits considerable variability across the quarters. Starting at approximately 9.9 billion US dollars in September 2018, the cost generally trends upward, with intermittent declines. Significant increases are observable around the quarters ending December 2020 and onwards, with a peak occurrence near the end of 2024, reaching over 21 billion US dollars. This upward movement indicates escalating expenses tied to the production or acquisition of goods and services over time.

Accounts Payable

Accounts payable values fluctuate but generally show an increasing trajectory. Starting from 8.5 billion US dollars in the third quarter of 2018, the value experiences some decreases and recoveries, with considerable peaks at the middle of 2022 and the end of 2024, surpassing 26 billion US dollars by March 2025. These variations suggest shifting levels of short-term liabilities to suppliers or vendors, reflecting possible changes in purchasing activity or payment terms.

Payables Turnover Ratio

The payables turnover ratio displays notable oscillations, generally ranging between 3.1 and 5.0. Early observations in 2019 show a higher turnover, peaking above 5.0 in December 2018 and March 2019, indicating faster payment to suppliers during this period. Subsequently, the ratio dips below 3.5 at several instances, particularly in mid to late 2022 and in 2024, suggesting comparatively slower payments or prolonged settlement periods in recent quarters. The fluctuations in this ratio may reflect evolving operational or credit management strategies.

Overall, the data indicates an expansion in cost of revenue and accounts payable over time, albeit with periodic contractions. Concurrently, the payables turnover ratio's variability points toward changes in payment efficiency or terms with creditors. These patterns could imply responses to market conditions, supply chain dynamics, or internal cash flow management policies.

The analyzed financial data reveals several noteworthy trends over the observed quarterly periods. Working capital demonstrates some fluctuations, with values generally hovering around a stable range until a marked decline occurs beginning in the quarter ending March 31, 2024. This drop is evident with working capital decreasing from approximately US$82,794 million in September 30, 2023, to around US$38,198 million by March 31, 2025.

Revenue figures show a consistent upward trajectory throughout the period. Starting from about US$29,084 million in September 30, 2018, revenue increases overall despite some minor quarterly variances. The growth trend accelerates significantly after the quarter ending December 31, 2020, culminating in revenue values exceeding US$69,000 million by March 31, 2025.

Working capital turnover ratios, which reflect how efficiently working capital is used to generate revenue, exhibit an interesting evolution. Initially, the ratio experiences a steady increase from 1.19 around March 31, 2019, reaching levels close to 2.77 around September 30, 2022. This suggests an improvement in operational efficiency over these years. However, a sharp spike is observed starting December 31, 2023, when the ratio jumps dramatically above 8.0, a level substantially higher than previous periods. After this spike, the turnover ratio slightly decreases but remains elevated above 6.0 through March 31, 2025.

Combined interpretation of these metrics indicates that while revenue growth remains robust and consistent, the working capital base experiences a significant reduction in the later periods. Simultaneously, the working capital turnover ratio's sharp increase likely results from this decline in working capital rather than an actual proportional increase in revenue generation efficiency. This phenomenon suggests a possible strategic shift in managing current assets and liabilities, potentially focusing on leaner working capital management to support growing revenue.

In conclusion, the data reveals strong revenue growth paired with effectively tightened working capital management from late 2023 onward. These dynamics contribute to disproportionately higher working capital turnover ratios, reflecting an intensified use of capital resources in revenue generation during the more recent periods.

The analysis of the inventory-related financial ratios over the presented quarters reveals notable fluctuations and an overall improving efficiency trend towards the latter periods.

Inventory Turnover Ratio

This ratio indicates the number of times inventory is sold and replaced over a period. Starting from the available data in mid-2019, the turnover ratio fluctuates between approximately 16 and 27 through to late 2023, showing some variability in inventory management and sales velocity. However, from the end of 2023 onward, there is a pronounced increase, with the turnover ratio escalating sharply from 42.63 to a peak of 98.47 by the quarter ending in March 2025. This trend suggests a substantial acceleration in inventory turnover, reflecting enhanced operational efficiency or stronger sales performance impacting inventory cycling.

Average Inventory Processing Period

This measure represents the average number of days inventory remains before being sold. The values parallel the inventory turnover trend inversely, starting at around 18 days in mid-2019, with fluctuations between 14 and 24 days through 2023. From late 2023 onward, there is a marked reduction in the processing period, decreasing to as low as 4 days by early 2025. This shortening period correlates with the rise in turnover ratio, indicating that inventory is moving through the system more quickly.

Overall, the data suggests an improvement in inventory management efficiency over the observed periods, particularly in the most recent quarters. The sharp increase in inventory turnover ratio combined with the significant decrease in average inventory processing days points to faster inventory movement. This could be attributed to better demand forecasting, improved supply chain management, or increased sales velocity.

The analysis of the receivables turnover ratio and the average receivable collection period over the examined quarters reveals a cyclical pattern characteristic of the company's credit and collection processes.

Receivables Turnover Ratio Trends

The receivables turnover ratio exhibits a recurring fluctuation between lower and higher values across the quarters. The ratio generally alternates between values slightly above 4.3 and values around 6, indicating periodic variations in how efficiently the company collects its receivables. This suggests seasonal or operational cycles impacting credit collection efficiency.

Average Receivable Collection Period Trends

The average receivable collection period, inversely related to the turnover ratio, oscillates in a corresponding manner. Periods with higher turnover ratios align with shorter collection periods, typically around 54 to 57 days. Conversely, when the turnover ratio decreases to roughly 4.3 to 4.8, the collection period extends to above 80 days.

Observations on the Relationship Between Metrics

The inverse relationship between the turnover ratio and collection period is consistent throughout the dataset, reflecting typical accounts receivable management dynamics. This indicates that when the company collects receivables more rapidly, the turnover ratio rises, leading to a shorter average collection period, and vice versa.

Stability and Volatility

While the values fluctuate, they remain within defined ranges without abrupt or extreme deviations, suggesting a stable receivables management system subject to predictable operational cycles. The data does not highlight any trend of significant improvement or deterioration over the examined periods.

Overall Assessment

The company maintains a rhythmic pattern in its receivables efficiency, with clear seasonal or periodic influences on the speed of collections. There are no indications of structural changes or disruptions in credit management over the timeframe observed. Monitoring these cycles may prove beneficial for anticipating cash flow variations and optimizing working capital management.

The data presents trends in key working capital efficiency ratios over multiple quarterly periods. These ratios include the average inventory processing period, average receivable collection period, and the operating cycle, measured in days.

Average Inventory Processing Period

This metric shows variability in how long inventory is held before being processed. Starting from an initial value of 18 days in late 2018-early 2019, the period fluctuated between approximately 14 and 24 days over the course of several quarters. The highest values occurred around late 2021 and 2022, peaking near 24 days, indicating a slower inventory turnover in those periods. From early 2023 onwards, a marked decline is visible, with the period decreasing steadily to as low as 4 days by late 2024 and early 2025. This suggests improved inventory management and faster processing times in recent quarters.

Average Receivable Collection Period

The average receivable collection days show a cyclical pattern with fluctuations between roughly 54 and 86 days throughout the dataset. Early data points in 2018-2019 show a high near 86 days, which then decreases to around 54 to 60 days. Subsequent periods show a repeated oscillation between approximately 56 and 85 days, without a clear long-term trend upward or downward. This cyclical behavior indicates variability in the time taken to collect receivables but without marked improvement or deterioration over the complete time frame.

Operating Cycle

The operating cycle, which is the sum of the inventory processing and receivable collection periods, reflects overall working capital cycle duration. The values fluctuate in a range roughly between 74 and 104 days, consistent with the combined variances in inventory and receivables. Peaks coincide with periods where either the inventory period or receivables period are elevated, such as late 2021 through 2022 where the operating cycle approaches and surpasses 100 days. Conversely, recent quarters in 2024 and 2025 exhibit a reduced operating cycle near 70 to mid-70 days, indicating a shortened cash conversion cycle. This suggests more efficient working capital management in recent times compared to prior periods.

The payables turnover ratio displays a fluctuating trend over the observed periods, beginning from a lower level and experiencing an initial increase, followed by a general decline and subsequent periods of mild recovery. Notably, after peaking around the December 2018 to March 2019 timeframe with ratios above 5, the turnover ratio gradually reduced, stabilizing around values between approximately 3.3 and 4.3 in the later periods. The most recent data indicates a slight decrease in payables turnover, suggesting slower frequency in settling payables relative to purchases on credit.

The average payables payment period, expressed in days, shows an inverse pattern relative to the payables turnover ratio, which aligns with the typical financial relationship between these metrics. Initially lower at roughly 72 to 80 days, the payment period increased significantly to above 100 days in several quarters, particularly from late 2020 onward. This lengthening payment period indicates that the company is taking longer on average to pay its suppliers, which could be a strategic cash management decision or a reflection of changing payment terms or operational conditions.

The data depicts that as the payables turnover ratio decreased, the average payment period increased, confirming the inverse relationship. The highest payment periods coincided with the lowest turnover ratios. This prolonged payment period towards the later quarters might affect supplier relationships but may also contribute to short-term liquidity maintenance. The consistent fluctuations across quarters highlight variable payment behaviors, possibly linked to seasonal factors, negotiated credit terms, or adjustments in working capital management.

The data reveals several noteworthy trends in the company's working capital management over the observed periods.

Average Inventory Processing Period

This metric experienced variability, starting around the mid-teens to low twenties of days. Initially, there is a slight increase peaking around 23 days before a gradual decline is evident in the later periods, reaching as low as 4 days. This suggests an improvement in inventory turnover efficiency toward the most recent quarters.

Average Receivable Collection Period

The accounts receivable collection period fluctuated significantly, oscillating between approximately 54 and 86 days. The data shows cyclical patterns with no clear long-term trend toward improvement or deterioration. This suggests a consistent challenge in receivables management, with occasional ease and tightening of collection times.

Average Payables Payment Period

The payables payment period demonstrates a generally increasing trend, beginning at around 72 days and moving upwards to peaks exceeding 110 days in several quarters. The extension in payment period indicates a strategy to delay outflows, possibly to optimize cash flow or preserve liquidity. Some recent variation shows slight declines but remains elevated relative to earlier periods.

Cash Conversion Cycle

The cash conversion cycle (CCC) shows a significant improvement over time, shifting from positive values indicating days cash is tied in the operating cycle to reaching negative values. Negative CCC values suggest the company is able to collect cash from sales before paying its suppliers, improving liquidity. The downward trend is consistent and becomes more pronounced in the latest quarters, with CCC values reaching as low as -41 days, reflecting efficient working capital management.

Overall, the company has shown enhanced efficiency in managing its cash conversion cycle, primarily through reduced inventory days and extended payment terms, despite variability in receivables collection. The trend toward a negative cash conversion cycle is likely beneficial for cash flow but may warrant monitoring of supplier relationships due to the extended payment periods. The mixed pattern in receivables may indicate the need for ongoing efforts to stabilize collection performance.