Stock Analysis on Net

ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE:NOW)

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.

ServiceNow Inc., consolidated cash flow statement (quarterly data)

US$ in millions

Microsoft Excel
3 months ended: Mar 31, 2026 Dec 31, 2025 Sep 30, 2025 Jun 30, 2025 Mar 31, 2025 Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023 Sep 30, 2023 Jun 30, 2023 Mar 31, 2023 Dec 31, 2022 Sep 30, 2022 Jun 30, 2022 Mar 31, 2022 Dec 31, 2021 Sep 30, 2021 Jun 30, 2021 Mar 31, 2021
Net income 469 401 502 385 460 384 432 262 347 295 242 1,044 150 150 80 20 75 26 63 59 82
Depreciation and amortization 258 212 194 172 160 154 144 136 130 154 146 136 126 118 109 105 101 126 125 115 106
Amortization of deferred commissions 168 167 161 148 145 147 140 132 131 126 115 112 106 97 92 86 83 83 75 70 66
Stock-based compensation 547 494 492 499 470 454 426 444 422 413 413 397 381 363 361 352 325 303 291 281 256
Deferred income taxes 102 77 124 16 32 51 (5) 24 28 17 30 (911) 7 18 (1) (2) (13) (5) (17) 1
Other (82) 61 (19) 58 4 (20) (6) (7) (18) 13 (11) (3) 1 8 (10) 4 15 18 13 (1) 10
Accounts receivable 912 (1,052) 141 (302) 901 (981) 228 (216) 715 (852) (83) 16 619 (785) (66) (51) 562 (620) (5) (130) 354
Deferred commissions (195) (296) (171) (136) (155) (252) (155) (141) (165) (264) (173) (121) (159) (197) (132) (100) (137) (221) (127) (103) (114)
Prepaid expenses and other assets (42) (185) 23 (83) (139) (65) (15) (146) (106) (20) (47) (72) (64) 34 (1) (26) (46) (15) (21) (54) (3)
Accounts payable 250 7 (85) (101) 234 (94) (130) 65 107 46 (98) (44) (46) 56 (24) 71 69 16 (36) (14) 89
Deferred revenue (278) 1,892 (449) (116) (148) 1,534 (263) (82) (10) 1,302 (128) (129) 40 1,060 (112) (65) 21 913 (38) 10 75
Accrued expenses and other liabilities (439) 460 (100) 176 (287) 323 (125) 149 (240) 375 (95) 155 (259) 240 (32) 38 (203) 228 (15) 84 (195)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of business combinations 208 826 (641) (562) 406 465 (460) (371) 301 587 (624) (195) 131 408 (367) (133) 266 301 (242) (207) 206
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities 1,201 1,837 311 331 1,217 1,251 239 358 994 1,310 69 (464) 752 1,012 185 413 788 818 257 241 645
Net cash provided by operating activities 1,670 2,238 813 716 1,677 1,635 671 620 1,341 1,605 311 580 902 1,162 265 433 863 844 320 300 727
Purchases of property and equipment (141) (238) (235) (190) (205) (253) (202) (262) (135) (261) (136) (132) (165) (144) (162) (151) (93) (100) (94) (91) (107)
Business combinations, net of cash acquired (1,325) (869) (139) (58) (18) (31) (41) (31) (10) (279) (34) (57) (7) (40) (513) (225)
Purchases of other intangibles (9) (34) (10) (9) (21) (3)
Purchases of marketable securities (31) (95) (397) (1,182) (1,140) (1,079) (1,292) (1,055) (1,605) (829) (984) (1,599) (1,222) (1,227) (1,037) (1,112) (662) (744) (609) (488) (644)
Purchases of strategic investments (121) (36) (882) (134) (4) (32) (61) (46) (42) (19) (10) (16) (30) (29) (2) (35) (101) (43) (21) (7)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities 1,139 728 1,129 1,100 1,181 728 911 1,040 1,073 654 915 1,073 880 545 569 554 577 540 556 491 532
Other 28 12 (18) 41 3 (61) 27 (8) 6 11 (28) 13 15 3 1 (1) (5) 11 (6) 7
Net cash used in investing activities (451) (498) (551) (423) (217) (738) (658) (371) (734) (444) (525) (674) (524) (874) (629) (800) (280) (359) (197) (614) (437)
Repayments of convertible senior notes attributable to principal (88) (6) (2) (6) (25) (28)
Proceeds from employee stock plans 153 117 153 106 131 1 76 117 71 1 105 2 70 95
Repurchases of common stock (2,225) (597) (584) (361) (298) (296) (225) (175) (256) (282)
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards (164) (142) (190) (185) (253) (175) (173) (137) (215) (126) (127) (94) (112) (75) (111) (91) (150) (155) (142) (124) (191)
Business combination (184)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (2,236) (739) (657) (546) (398) (471) (292) (137) (443) (381) (333) (94) 5 (75) (40) (178) (51) (155) (78) (149) (124)
Foreign currency effect on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (5) (3) (4) 9 5 (9) 5 (9) (4) 5 (4) (1) 1 8 (12) (44) (5) (4) (10) 7 (18)
Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (1,022) 998 (399) (244) 1,067 417 (274) 103 160 785 (551) (189) 384 221 (416) (589) 527 326 35 (456) 148

Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2025-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 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).


The company exhibits a strong upward trajectory in cash generation from operating activities, characterized by significant quarterly seasonality and a growing reliance on non-cash adjustments to reconcile net income. Net cash provided by operating activities grew from 727 million in March 2021 to 1,670 million by March 2026, with consistent peaks occurring in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year.

Operating Cash Flow Dynamics
Cash flow from operations is heavily influenced by a recurring year-end surge. This pattern is primarily driven by substantial increases in deferred revenue during the fourth quarter—reaching 1,892 million in December 2025—which suggests a business model centered on annual upfront subscription payments. This seasonality creates a cyclical pattern where Q4 cash inflows frequently offset lower balances in preceding quarters.
Non-Cash Adjustments and Compensation
A consistent and increasing contribution to operating cash flow comes from stock-based compensation, which rose from 256 million in March 2021 to 547 million by March 2026. Similarly, depreciation and amortization have trended upward, increasing from 106 million to 258 million over the same period. These non-cash expenses significantly widen the gap between reported net income and actual cash generated from operations.
Investing Activity and Capital Allocation
Investing activities are dominated by the active management of marketable securities, with large-scale purchases frequently offset by sales and maturities. Capital expenditures for property and equipment have generally increased, rising from approximately 100 million per quarter in 2021 to peaks of 262 million in 2024. A significant shift in investing strategy is observed in the first quarter of 2026, where business combinations resulted in a cash outflow of 1,325 million.
Financing Trends and Shareholder Returns
Financing activities have transitioned from modest outflows toward aggressive shareholder returns. While early periods focused on the repayment of convertible senior notes and taxes related to equity awards, there is a marked acceleration in common stock repurchases. This trend culminated in a substantial outflow of 2,225 million for share buybacks in March 2026, indicating a strategic shift toward returning capital to shareholders as operating cash flows matured.
Working Capital Volatility
Operating assets and liabilities show high volatility, particularly regarding accounts receivable and deferred revenue. The consistent pattern of large Q4 increases in deferred revenue followed by Q1 decreases indicates the recognition of prepaid services over the subsequent year. This cycle creates significant swings in the net change in cash, as seen in the fluctuation between 998 million in December 2025 and a deficit of 1,022 million in March 2026.

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