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Free Cash Flow

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Submitted By riazuddin76
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Free Cash Flow: Free, But Not Always Easy
Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/fundamental/03/091703.asp#ixzz1ufzEnLN5
March 08 2010 | Filed Under » Fundamental Analysis, Stock Analysis, Stocks
The best things in life are free, and the same holds true for cash flow. Smart investors love companies that produce plenty of free cash flow (FCF). It signals a company's ability to pay debt, pay dividends, buy back stock and facilitate the growth of business - all important undertakings from an investor's perspective. However, while free cash flow is a great gauge of corporate health, it does have its limits and is not immune to accounting trickery. (For background reading, see Analyzing Cash Flow The Easy Way.)
What Is Free Cash Flow?
By establishing how much cash a company has after paying its bills for ongoing activities and growth, FCF is a measure that aims to cut through the arbitrariness and "guesstimations" involved in reported earnings. Regardless of whether a cash outlay is counted as an expense in the calculation of income or turned into an asset on the balance sheet, free cash flow tracks the money.
To calculate FCF, make a beeline for the company's cash flow statement and balance sheet. There you will find the item cash flow from operations (also referred to as "operating cash"). From this number subtract estimated capital expenditure required for current operations: Cash Flow From Operations (Operating Cash)
- Capital Expenditure
---------------------------
= Free Cash Flow |

To do it another way, grab the income statement and balance sheet. Start with net income and add back charges for depreciation and amortization. Make an additional adjustment for changes in working capital, which is done by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. Then subtract capital expenditure, or spending on plants and equipment: Net

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