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-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), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2015-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-03-31).
The financial performance from early 2015 through 2019 is characterized by extreme volatility in net income and significant structural shifts in cash flow, reflecting a period of intensive corporate restructuring and strategic realignment.
- Operating Cash Flow Dynamics
- Cash provided by operating activities exhibits substantial fluctuations. While early periods showed steady generation, the period between 2017 and 2019 saw drastic swings, including a significant deficit in the first quarter of 2018. This volatility is mirrored in net income, which transitioned from multi-billion dollar quarterly gains in 2015 to deep losses in late 2017 and mid-2019. A notable trend is the increase in depreciation and amortization, which climbed from approximately 600 million USD per quarter in 2015 to over 1.4 billion USD throughout 2018, before contracting in 2019.
- Working capital management shows aggressive shifts, particularly in accounts and notes receivable, which experienced a massive outflow of over 3 billion USD in the first quarter of 2018, followed by a recovery of over 2 billion USD by the end of that year.
- Investing Activities and Capital Allocation
- Capital expenditures remained a consistent cash drain, typically ranging between 700 million USD and 1.3 billion USD per quarter. This indicates a sustained commitment to infrastructure and asset maintenance despite fluctuating operational earnings.
- Investing activities were heavily impacted by strategic transactions. A significant peak in cash provided by investing activities occurred in late 2017, driven by the acquisition of 4 billion USD in cash during a merger transaction and substantial proceeds from the sale of property and businesses. Conversely, investment in gas field developments and other peripheral assets remained relatively small and steady.
- Financing and Capital Structure
- Financing activities reveal a high-leverage strategy used to fund corporate actions. A massive issuance of long-term debt totaling nearly 14.7 billion USD in the fourth quarter of 2018 was utilized to manage liquidity and likely fund the subsequent corporate distributions. This was offset by aggressive debt repayments in 2018 and 2019, including a 6.5 billion USD payment in the second quarter of 2019.
- Shareholder returns were prioritized through consistent treasury stock purchases, often totaling 1 billion USD per quarter between 2017 and 2018. Dividend payments remained stable at approximately 500 to 600 million USD per quarter until 2019, when they were reduced to approximately 200 to 300 million USD.
- Structural Liquidity Events
- The most profound impact on liquidity occurred in the second quarter of 2019, where a distribution of 7.3 billion USD related to Dow and Corteva resulted in a net decrease in cash and restricted cash of over 10 billion USD for that period. This event represents a fundamental shift in the company's asset base and liquidity profile.
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