Free cash flow has surged to $283.1M in Q2 2026, representing an 82.1% margin, a stark reversal from the negative margins of the prior eight quarters, though this may be partially inflated by a $44.1M favorable working capital swing.
Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) cash flow statement — 14-year operating, investing & financing cash flows
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 351.32M | 51.77M | -306.2M | -467.36M | -495.7M | -417.65M | -271.55M | -175.94M | -138.8M | -95.1M | -60.18M | -43.47M | -18.4M | 6.31M | -652K |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 7.48% | -84.2% | -175.23% | -968.65% | -5369.62% | -3905.48% | -1315.41% | -1311.8% | -6215.62% | -1306.54% | -535.43% | -131.61% | 30.92% | -4.18% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 4330.74% | 116.91% | 34.48% | 5.72% | -18.69% | -53.8% | -54.34% | -26.75% | -45.96% | -58.03% | -38.45% | -136.19% | -391.65% | 1067.79% | - |
| Net Income | 755.85M | -219.03M | -378.08M | -481.45M | -583.19M | -383.58M | -418.95M | -218.02M | -130.1M | -123.9M | -68.5M | -32.92M | -9.66M | 4.08M | 1.25M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 17.73M | 17M | 17.71M | 18.91M | 17.96M | 15.39M | 9.45M | 6.69M | 880K | 734K | 677K | 558K | 504K | 405K | 425K |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 30.64M | 0 | 95.51M | 66.66M | 64.18M | 66.83M | 53.17M | 37.49M | 19.65M | 9.71M | 7.32M | 1.71M | 1.27M | 671K | 125K |
| Deferred Taxes | 6.84M | 3.21M | 4.84M | 7.3M | 5.38M | -367K | -219K | -234K | -394K | -477K | -227K | -652K | -682K | 626K | 35K |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -499.16M | 182.44M | 60.98M | 21M | 12.45M | -68.2M | 85.97M | -5.93M | -30.55M | 13.81M | -3.51M | -7.5M | -2.44M | 4K | -35K |
| Working Capital Changes | 39.43M | 68.16M | -107.16M | -99.79M | -12.47M | -47.72M | -964K | 4.07M | 1.71M | 5.02M | 4.07M | -4.66M | -7.4M | 525K | -2.45M |
| Change in Receivables | -95.8M | 14.97M | -118.61M | -32.77M | -11.53M | -6.66M | -2M | -1.87M | 182K | 99K | 777K | 228K | 413K | 4.01M | -4.48M |
| Change in Inventory | -7.31M | -5.69M | -86.68M | -78.26M | -55.27M | -75.41M | 0 | -5.64M | 0 | -5.71M | 1.55M | -3.33M | -766K | 140K | 593K |
| Change in Payables | 30.67M | -9.96M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.51M | 8.26M | 10.76M | 4.71M | 3.4M | 2.62M | -12K | 13K |
| Cash from Investing | -13.07M | -8.15M | 6.88M | 286.47M | 61.73M | -110.58M | -291.2M | -5.16M | -2.65M | -941K | -672K | -1.04M | -405K | -1.2M | -291K |
| Capital Expenditures | -14.43M | -8.15M | -1.43M | -2.44M | -14.49M | -23.7M | -19.86M | -5.16M | -2.65M | -941K | -672K | -1.04M | -405K | -1.2M | -291K |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 1.37% | 1.18% | 0.39% | 0.92% | 28.31% | 304.76% | 285.63% | 38.57% | 25.03% | 61.5% | 14.59% | 12.8% | 2.9% | 5.86% | 1.87% |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -10.19M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 1.36M | 0 | 950K | 288.92M | 9.54M | -530K | 3.36M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | -36.86M | 34.89M | 443.93M | 134.29M | 396.77M | 351.39M | 602.65M | 493.59M | 203.27M | 124.72M | 117.46M | 105.74M | 47.91M | -220K | -205K |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -30.18M | -21.09M | 122.79M | 125.82M | 496.93M | -6.43M | -4.77M | -4.04M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -220K | -205K |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 4.89M | 66.93M | 309.91M | -1.81M | -105.31M | 346.28M | 580.54M | 480.25M | 216.38M | 133.11M | 125.97M | 114.14M | 48.1M | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -105.45M | -16.71M | 0 | -1.81M | -105.31M | -21.61M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -11.57M | -10.95M | 11.22M | 10.29M | 5.15M | 11.54M | 26.88M | 17.38M | -13.12M | -8.39M | -8.5M | -8.4M | -189K | 0 | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | 301.42M | 122.65M | 167.38M | -52.6M | -1.5M | -138.25M | -13.59M | 320.24M | 82.51M | 15.02M | 60.68M | 69.48M | 30.74M | 4.89M | -1.15M |
| Free Cash Flow | 336.9M | 43.62M | -307.62M | -469.8M | -510.19M | -441.88M | -293.1M | -181.09M | -141.45M | -96.04M | -60.85M | -44.51M | -18.81M | 5.12M | -943K |
| FCF Margin % | 31.95% | 6.31% | -84.6% | -176.14% | -996.97% | -5681.19% | -4215.45% | -1353.98% | -1336.83% | -6277.12% | -1321.12% | -548.23% | -134.51% | 25.06% | -6.05% |
| FCF Growth % | 297.19% | 114.18% | 34.52% | 7.92% | -15.46% | -50.76% | -61.85% | -28.03% | -47.28% | -57.83% | -36.73% | -136.63% | -467.7% | 642.42% | - |
| FCF per Share | 4.93 | 0.72 | -5.31 | -8.35 | -9.10 | -8.07 | -5.79 | -3.89 | -3.44 | -2.86 | -2.29 | -1.87 | -1.11 | 0.47 | -0.09 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.45x | -0.24x | 0.81x | 0.97x | 0.85x | 1.09x | 0.65x | 0.81x | 1.07x | 0.77x | 0.88x | 1.32x | 1.91x | 1.55x | -0.52x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.67M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying ASND stock.
Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) generated $51.8M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) generated $43.6M in free cash flow in 2025. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) spent $8.2M 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, Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) spent $16.7M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.
Key Metrics
Top Statement Risk
Commercial execution and cash burn
Earnings Quality Improves with Commercial Scale
The conversion of net income to operating cash flow has turned decisively positive, with Q2 2026 showing an OCF/NI ratio of 1.36, a stark reversal from the negative ratios seen throughout 2024 and early 2025, as reported in the latest financials.
This shift suggests the company's core operations are now generating cash, moving beyond the phase where non-cash charges and working capital swings dominated the cash flow statement. The positive conversion in Q2 2026, alongside the massive net income figure, indicates the business model is beginning to translate accounting profits into tangible cash, a critical milestone for a scaling biotech.
FCF Inflection Follows Revenue Surge
Free cash flow has swung to a robust $283.1M in Q2 2026, representing an 82.1% FCF margin, a dramatic improvement from the negative margins that characterized the prior eight quarters, according to the company's reported cash flow data.
This inflection appears directly tied to the commercial ramp of SKYTROFA and the initial YORVIPATH launch, which have driven revenue growth to 90.2% TTM. The sustainability of this high FCF margin is questionable, as it likely reflects favorable working capital dynamics from initial inventory stocking and milestone payments, rather than a steady-state operational profile.
Working Capital Swings Drive Cash Volatility
Working capital changes have been a primary driver of operating cash flow volatility, with a $44.1M positive contribution in Q2 2026 contrasting sharply with a $67.9M drag in Q1 2026, as detailed in the quarterly cash flow statements.
These large, erratic swings suggest the cash flow profile is heavily influenced by the timing of receivables from specialty pharmacies and inventory build-up ahead of product launches. Investors should monitor whether these working capital benefits normalize as the commercial ramp matures, as they currently mask the underlying cash generation from core sales.
Capital Returns Begin Amidst Growth Investment
The company initiated share repurchases in Q1 and Q2 2026, spending over $104M combined, while maintaining minimal capital expenditures, indicating a shift in capital allocation priorities as cash generation improves.
The initiation of buybacks, despite the company still being in a net loss position on a trailing basis, suggests management's confidence in the sustainability of the new cash flow trajectory. However, the scale of repurchases relative to the still-negative cumulative earnings warrants scrutiny, as it may prioritize shareholder returns over bolstering the balance sheet for future pipeline investments.
Cash Flow Strength May Be Transitory
The impressive Q2 2026 operating cash flow of $286.3M may be inflated by non-recurring items and favorable working capital timing, which could obscure the true underlying cash burn rate of the business.
The cash flow statement does not fully disaggregate the impact of potential milestone payments or the precise timing of gross-to-net deductions on cash collections. Furthermore, the minimal capital expenditure profile (0.9% of revenue) raises questions about the long-term cash requirements for manufacturing scale-up and pipeline development, which are likely to increase significantly.