Free cash flow remains persistently negative at -$10.3 million in 2026Q1, reflecting the ongoing strain of high capital intensity despite a CapEx/Revenue ratio that has moderated to 11.0%.
| Cash from Operations | 143.79M | 117.35M | 256.46M | 299.03M | 206.01M | 21.36M | 12.49M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 10.71% | 24.29% | 48.7% | 42.68% | 12.39% | 11.17% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 243.96% | -54.24% | -14.24% | 45.15% | 864.66% | 71.04% | - |
| Net Income | -98.79M | -50.3M | 59.94M | 105.43M | 217.01M | 4.26M | -34.44M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 65.74M | 23.55M | 114.52M | 41.6M | 28.62M | 24.6M | 21.69M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 35.15M | 33.23M | 22.38M | 7.41M | 678K | 129K | 2.54M |
| Deferred Taxes | -24M | -17.5M | 15M | 29.2M | -2K | 360K | 372K |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 114.25M | 175.19M | 22.09M | 122.34M | 1.49M | 627K | 21.95M |
| Working Capital Changes | 51.44M | -46.82M | 22.52M | -6.95M | -41.77M | -8.62M | 369K |
| Change in Receivables | 256.21M | 0 | -13.11M | 3.04M | -44.98M | -17.81M | 13.52M |
| Change in Inventory | 70.62M | 0 | -11.36M | -5.47M | -6.65M | -981K | 2.66M |
| Change in Payables | 83.83M | 0 | 22.8M | 5.32M | 7.42M | 6.22M | -11.59M |
| Cash from Investing | -138.94M | -344.82M | -512.71M | -365.49M | -89.59M | -19.37M | -9.53M |
| Capital Expenditures | -125.16M | -148.27M | -373.98M | -365.49M | -89.59M | -19.37M | -9.53M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 11.77% | 13.54% | 35.42% | 59.53% | 18.56% | 11.24% | 8.53% |
| Acquisitions | -22.66M | -204.17M | -153.43M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 8.88M | 7.62M | 14.7M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | -33.75M | 196.41M | 117.78M | 194.62M | -74.81M | 2.34M | 11.83M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -7.44M | 38.36M | 217.93M | -18.57M | -29.55M | 4.91M | 11.8M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -200K | 252.87M | -2.07M | 293.01M | -233K | 12.61M | 25K |
| Dividends Paid | -61.85M | -92.28M | -96.89M | -77.16M | -45.02M | -10M | -3K |
| Share Repurchases | -200K | -200K | -2.07M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 35.74M | -2.55M | -1.19M | -2.65M | 0 | -5.17M | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | -28.89M | -31.07M | -138.47M | 128.16M | 41.61M | 4.33M | 14.78M |
| Free Cash Flow | 18.64M | -30.93M | -117.52M | -66.46M | 116.42M | 1.99M | 2.95M |
| FCF Margin % | 1.75% | -2.82% | -11.13% | -10.82% | 24.12% | 1.15% | 2.64% |
| FCF Growth % | 115.35% | 73.69% | -76.84% | -157.09% | 5764.99% | -32.8% | - |
| FCF per Share | 0.15 | -0.25 | -1.08 | -0.66 | 1.16 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -0.19x | -2.33x | 4.28x | 1.87x | 0.95x | 5.02x | -0.36x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 38.47M | 15.21M | 14.9M | 19.16M | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 2.27M | 11.4M | 468K | 14K | 0 |
Permian Basin volume concentration
According to the provided financial data, the relationship between net income and operating cash flow remains highly erratic, with the OCF/NI ratio fluctuating wildly from -0.40 in 2026Q1 to a massive -15.95 in 2025Q2, signaling significant disconnects between accounting profits and actual cash generation.
The extreme volatility in the OCF/NI ratio suggests that reported net income is heavily influenced by non-cash charges and timing differences rather than core operational performance. Investors should monitor whether this divergence stems from aggressive revenue recognition or the heavy capitalization of costs that fail to convert into realized liquidity.
As reported in recent financial statements, AESI has struggled to maintain positive free cash flow, with the company posting a negative $10.3M in 2026Q1, a trend that persists despite the massive capital investments made into the Dune Express logistics infrastructure over the last ten quarters.
The persistent inability to generate positive free cash flow indicates that the company's capital-intensive growth phase is consuming more liquidity than the underlying business can currently produce. This trajectory warrants further investigation into whether the infrastructure assets will eventually reach a utilization threshold that allows for self-funding operations.
Based on reported figures, the company's capital intensity remains elevated, with CapEx/Revenue ratios peaking at 84.9% in 2023Q4 and remaining significant at 11.0% in 2026Q1, reflecting the ongoing, heavy financial burden required to maintain and expand the Permian-centric conveyor and mining infrastructure.
The high level of capital expenditure relative to revenue suggests that the company is still in a heavy build-out phase rather than a maintenance-only cycle. Analysts should scrutinize whether these expenditures are truly growth-oriented or if they represent recurring maintenance costs necessary to keep the logistics network operational.
Analysis of the cash flow statement reveals significant swings in working capital, including a $60.7M outflow in 2025Q1 followed by a $35.2M inflow in 2025Q2, suggesting that the company's cash position is highly sensitive to the timing of collections and inventory management within the Permian Basin.
These fluctuations may indicate that the company is struggling to manage its cash conversion cycle effectively amidst shifting demand from E&P customers. Such volatility in working capital often masks underlying operational inefficiencies and makes short-term liquidity forecasting particularly challenging for external observers.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying AESI stock.
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (AESI) generated $117.3M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (AESI) reported negative free cash flow of $30.9M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (AESI) spent $148.3M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2025, Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (AESI) returned $92.3M to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $0.2M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.