📈 Free Cash Flow History (16 Quarters)
🧮 CALM Free Cash Flow Calculation
What is Free Cash Flow?
Free Cash Flow (FCF) is the cash a company generates after accounting for capital expenditures needed to maintain or expand its asset base. It represents the actual cash available to pay dividends, buy back shares, reduce debt, or invest in growth. Unlike earnings, FCF is difficult to manipulate and provides a clear picture of financial health.
Why Free Cash Flow Matters for Investors
Cash is King
Earnings can be manipulated through accounting choices, but cash flow is real. A company with strong FCF has actual money to reward shareholders or grow the business.
Dividend Sustainability
Dividends must be paid in cash, not accounting profits. FCF shows whether a company can sustain and grow its dividend payments over time.
Debt Repayment Ability
FCF reveals a company's capacity to pay down debt. High FCF relative to debt obligations indicates financial flexibility and lower default risk.
FCF Yield Valuation
FCF Yield (FCF/Market Cap) shows the cash return on investment. Higher yields often indicate undervaluation. Compare to bond yields for perspective.
How Zyberno Calculates Growth Rate
Zyberno uses log-linear regression on 16 quarters of historical Free Cash Flow data to calculate the growth rate. This statistical method provides a more reliable trend than simple year-over-year comparisons, which can be distorted by one-time events or seasonal variations. The trend line is visible in the chart above.
Free Cash Flow vs Other Metrics
Owner Earnings: $361.9M →
Buffett's metric uses maintenance CapEx only (min of CapEx and D&A). FCF is more conservative by subtracting all capital spending, including growth investments.
Net Income: $618.8M
Accounting profit includes non-cash items like depreciation, stock compensation, and accruals. FCF shows actual cash movement regardless of accounting treatment.
Earnings Per Share (EPS): $12.88 →
Net income divided by diluted shares. The per-share equivalent of total earnings, useful for comparing companies of different sizes.
FCF Conversion Ratio
The FCF Conversion Ratio measures how efficiently a company converts its net income into free cash flow. CALM's FCF Conversion is 53%. A ratio below 80% may indicate high working capital needs or aggressive revenue recognition.
📊 Full CALM Stock Report →
See CALM's intrinsic value, margin of safety, DCF valuation, and complete financial analysis with 250+ metrics.
💰 CALM Owner Earnings →
Compare to Buffett's Owner Earnings metric which uses maintenance CapEx instead of total capital expenditures.
📈 CALM Earnings Per Share →
Analyze EPS trends, P/E ratio, earnings yield, and per-share profitability metrics.
📊 CALM Revenue →
Analyze revenue trends, growth rate, P/S ratio, and top-line sales performance.
💰 CALM Net Income →
Analyze the bottom-line profit, P/E ratio, and net profit margin trends.
🔶 CALM Operating Income →
Analyze EBIT, operating margin, and core business profitability before interest and taxes.
💜 CALM Gross Profit →
Analyze gross margin, pricing power, and profitability before operating expenses.
Summary: CALM Free Cash Flow
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM) generates $328.5M in trailing twelve-month Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow minus total Capital Expenditures) — the actual cash available after all reinvestment. At the current market price, this represents an FCF yield of 8.60% — above the 8% threshold Zyberno considers highly attractive, indicating the business generates significant real cash relative to its market value. Free Cash Flow grew at -0.25% annually — a negative trend that warrants monitoring. For complete financial analysis, view the full CALM stock report on Zyberno.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CALM's current Free Cash Flow?
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM) generates $328.5M in trailing twelve-month Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow minus total Capital Expenditures) — the actual cash available after all reinvestment. At the current market price, this represents an FCF yield of 8.60% — above the 8% threshold Zyberno considers highly attractive, indicating the business generates significant real cash relative to its market value. Free Cash Flow grew at -0.25% annually — a negative trend that warrants monitoring.
Is CALM's Free Cash Flow growing?
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM) generates $328.5M in trailing twelve-month Free Cash Flow (Operating Cash Flow minus total Capital Expenditures) — the actual cash available after all reinvestment. At the current market price, this represents an FCF yield of 8.60% — above the 8% threshold Zyberno considers highly attractive, indicating the business generates significant real cash relative to its market value. Free Cash Flow grew at -0.25% annually — a negative trend that warrants monitoring.
What is a good FCF Yield?
Zyberno considers FCF yields above 8% highly attractive, above 5% attractive, and above 3% moderate. At current prices, CALM has an FCF yield of 8.60% — above the 8% threshold Zyberno considers highly attractive, indicating the business generates significant real cash relative to its market value.
How does Free Cash Flow differ from Owner Earnings?
Free Cash Flow subtracts all capital expenditures from operating cash flow, while Owner Earnings only subtracts maintenance CapEx — the minimum required to maintain the business's competitive position. For CALM, FCF is $328.5M compared to Owner Earnings of $361.9M — the difference reflects growth investment above maintenance requirements.