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: 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), 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 data reveals a company with robust and consistent cash generation from operations, despite significant volatility in reported net income. Operating cash flows remain predominantly positive throughout the period, typically ranging between 800 million and 1.7 billion US dollars per quarter, providing a stable foundation for capital expenditures and financing obligations.
- Operating Activity Trends
- A pronounced divergence is observed between net income and net cash provided by operating activities. While net income fluctuates sharply, including substantial quarterly losses in December 2015, December 2017, and March 2020, the operating cash flow remains resilient. This stability is largely driven by significant and consistent non-cash charges, specifically depreciation, depletion, and amortization, which consistently average between 550 million and 660 million US dollars per quarter. Deferred income taxes also contribute significant add-backs, most notably a 1.4 billion US dollar adjustment in December 2017.
- Investment and Capital Expenditure Patterns
- Capital expenditures represent a primary and consistent use of cash, generally fluctuating between 440 million and 1.1 billion US dollars per quarter. The investment strategy is characterized by a pattern of steady asset maintenance and growth interspersed with large-scale strategic divestitures. Significant cash inflows are noted from the sale of equity interests in September 2016, the TMPL sale in September 2018 (approximately 3 billion US dollars), and the KML and U.S. Cochin sale in December 2019 (approximately 1.5 billion US dollars). These divestitures serve to offset the ongoing capital intensity of the business.
- Financing and Shareholder Distribution Strategy
- Financing activities are defined by an active debt management cycle, with frequent and large-scale issuances and repayments of debt occurring nearly every quarter. A significant shift in shareholder distributions occurred in early 2016, where common stock dividends dropped from approximately 1 billion US dollars per quarter in 2015 to roughly 280 million US dollars per quarter. Dividends subsequently trended upward, stabilizing between 450 million and 570 million US dollars per quarter from 2018 through early 2020. The company also utilized equity markets heavily in early 2015 through common share issuances exceeding 1 billion US dollars in multiple quarters.
Overall, the cash flow profile indicates a capital-intensive operation that relies on a combination of steady operating cash flow and strategic asset monetization to fund its capital program and maintain shareholder distributions. The liquidity position is subject to high volatility due to the timing of large asset sales and the continuous recycling of corporate debt.
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