Free cash flow remains highly erratic, swinging from a $34.9M peak in 2025Q3 to a -$45.5M low in 2024Q1, while the OCF/NI ratio of -3.03 in 2026Q1 highlights significant distortion from non-cash depreciation charges.
| 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 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'01 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 215.51M | 218.03M | 166.18M | 162.92M | 3.28M | -94.63M | 205.65M | 216.41M | 203.96M | 366.66M | 365.73M | 292.37M | 242.65M | 366.12M | 290.97M | 268.43M | 228.24M | 237.22M | 136.77M | 199.66M | 85.91M | 9.09M | 50.13M | 34.11M | 0 |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 6.98% | 5.57% | 5.68% | 0.12% | -3.45% | 6.8% | 5.33% | 5.79% | 9.51% | 8.63% | 6.9% | 7.26% | 14.38% | 11.91% | 10.92% | 10.31% | 11.73% | 7.09% | 10.86% | 6.56% | 4.27% | 7.59% | 15.32% | - |
| Operating CF Growth % | 30.93% | 31.2% | 2% | 4865.65% | 103.47% | -146.02% | -4.97% | 6.1% | -44.37% | 0.25% | 25.09% | 20.49% | -33.72% | 25.83% | 8.4% | 17.61% | -3.78% | 73.45% | -31.5% | 132.4% | 844.81% | -81.86% | 46.96% | - | - |
| Net Income | -204.6M | -262.75M | -201.99M | -189.01M | -238.34M | -99.36M | 81.94M | -268.49M | -528.35M | -571.61M | -404.64M | -458.15M | -149.43M | -3.58M | -65.64M | -68.17M | -48.9M | -66.25M | -373.24M | -161.98M | -108.09M | -24.46M | -9.79M | -8.96M | 3.41M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 352.64M | 370.3M | 367.51M | 350.41M | 353.89M | 345.06M | 365.65M | 383.49M | 455.21M | 494.76M | 529.8M | 736.52M | 544.51M | 285.81M | 270.36M | 281.93M | 301.3M | 255.43M | 327.69M | 283.41M | 180.7M | 17.86M | 52.31M | 22.48M | 11.23M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 11.64M | 11.94M | 14.18M | 11.98M | 14.47M | 16.27M | 20.75M | 23.03M | 26.07M | 27.83M | 32.28M | 31.65M | 28.3M | 25.98M | 25.52M | 19.86M | 20.76M | 26.93M | 28.94M | 20.11M | 26.61M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | -2.05M | -3.29M | 3.62M | 7.59M | -1.32M | -9.84M | -5.84M | -2.65M | -52.37M | -15.31M | 3.25M | -95.26M | -182.37M | -183K | 33.59M | 943K | -33.3M | -31.68M | -89.5M | -103.18M | -39.27M | 150K | 10.63M | -290K | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 34.05M | 100.63M | -29.36M | -58.7M | -84.15M | -296.27M | -417.99M | 31.67M | 342.23M | 415.14M | 281.29M | 88.93M | 38.74M | 24.9M | 6.45M | 54.78M | 35.05M | 57.32M | 268.75M | 124.73M | 43.89M | 64.72M | -10.48M | 19.79M | -14.64M |
| Working Capital Changes | 23.88M | 1.2M | 12.22M | 40.65M | -41.27M | -50.49M | 161.13M | 49.37M | -38.83M | 15.85M | -76.25M | -11.31M | -37.1M | 33.2M | 20.7M | -20.91M | -46.67M | -4.53M | -25.86M | 36.57M | -17.94M | -6.2M | 7.46M | 1.09M | 0 |
| Change in Receivables | -6.46M | -15.79M | -3.5M | 7.38M | -4.62M | 502K | 24.28M | 292K | -4.96M | 12.75M | 1.58M | 5.61M | 3.51M | -5.45M | -3.42M | -5.37M | -7.96M | 11.78M | -25.15M | -6.13M | -23.02M | 1.46M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54.03M | -27.29M | 12.98M | 25.72M | 21.55M | 2.12M | 50.55M | -54.05M | 6.69M | 7.14M | -25.12M | -25.21M | 334.29M | 349.08M | 279.13M | 247.91M | 14.04M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | 3.18M | 0 | 15.7M | 2.45M | -27.18M | -54.03M | 27.29M | -12.98M | -60.5M | -4.53M | -83.25M | -60.56M | 16.81M | 33.84M | 4.85M | 13.72M | -11.78M | 21.29M | 15.43M | 21.51M | -4.16M | 3.87M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -158.93M | -455.95M | -278.07M | -113.36M | -67.43M | 181.46M | -425.11M | -225.54M | 288.77M | -601.31M | 176.82M | -568.98M | -314.88M | -264.81M | -455.33M | -203.9M | -136.5M | -351.43M | -166.44M | -358.42M | -2B | -98.63M | 524.73M | 105.92M | 0 |
| Capital Expenditures | -159.71M | -512.55M | 0 | -233.78M | -196.92M | -176.66M | -185.87M | -304.09M | -225.47M | -213.89M | -333.65M | -411.05M | -304.25M | -257.53M | -208.41M | -160.13M | -93.68M | -321.59M | -189.03M | -341.66M | -2.04B | -25.87M | -37.95M | -7.29M | 0 |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 5.14% | 16.4% | 6.75% | 8.15% | 7.17% | 6.43% | 6.15% | 7.5% | 6.4% | 5.55% | 7.87% | 9.7% | 9.1% | 10.11% | 8.53% | 6.51% | 4.23% | 15.9% | 9.8% | 18.58% | 155.48% | 12.14% | 5.74% | 3.28% | - |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | -101.39M | -7.59M | -218K | -5.44M | -4.08M | -4.35M | -9.12M | -199.02M | -13.38M | -69.3M | 1.93M | -17.17M | -5.37M | -83.17M | -57.95M | 8.84M | 369K | 0 | 0 | -79.98M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 4.54M | 56.6M | -208.18M | 107.94M | -5.37M | 372.82M | -131.89M | 135.12M | 244.92M | 73.75M | 523.85M | -88.63M | -12.57M | 9.89M | -275.12M | 84.68M | 9.23M | 14.43M | 25M | -14.78M | 36.09M | 7.22M | 562.68M | 113.21M | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | -39.09M | 201.09M | 142.06M | -174.44M | 100.38M | -113.66M | 382.91M | -139.39M | -325.06M | 240.89M | -414.19M | 260.56M | 117.8M | -112.04M | 202.77M | -115.52M | -76.28M | 126.61M | -17.26M | 191.63M | 1.91B | 107.47M | -544.47M | -85.73M | 0 |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -10.87M | 225.71M | 170.66M | -161.69M | -26.93M | -88.61M | 424.24M | -105.93M | -302.37M | 252.49M | -401.21M | 292.84M | -197.1M | -122.78M | 195.34M | -51.4M | -70.27M | -43.7M | 201.78M | 459.66M | 676.51M | 262.74M | -140.69M | 23.97M | 0 |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -1.7M | -6.47M | -3.44M | -1.92M | -4.29M | -4.82M | -22.16M | -27.27M | -7.32M | 0 | -11.28M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -17.61M | 0 | 163.77M | -29.19M | -14.01M | 1.35B | 151.77M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -129.46M | -196.83M | -104.18M | -14.36M | -304.58M | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -1.7M | -6.47M | -3.44M | -1.92M | 0 | -4.82M | -18.12M | -23.95M | -4.26M | -5.89M | -9.64M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -17.61M | 0 | 0 | -29.19M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -26.51M | -18.15M | -25.16M | -10.83M | 131.6M | -20.23M | -19.17M | -6.2M | -15.38M | -11.6M | -1.7M | -32.29M | 314.9M | 10.73M | 7.43M | -46.51M | -6.01M | 6.54M | -60.39M | -57.19M | -19.27M | -272.68M | -99.2M | -109.7M | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | 21.34M | -36.83M | 30.17M | -124.88M | 36.23M | -26.83M | 163.45M | -148.52M | 167.67M | 6.25M | 128.37M | -16.05M | 45.57M | -10.73M | 38.4M | -50.99M | 15.46M | 12.4M | -46.93M | 32.87M | -9.65M | 17.93M | 30.39M | 54.3M | 0 |
| Free Cash Flow | 9.32M | -294.52M | -35.07M | -70.28M | -193.64M | -271.29M | 19.78M | -87.68M | -21.51M | 152.78M | 32.09M | -118.69M | -61.59M | 108.59M | 82.56M | 108.3M | 134.56M | -84.37M | -52.26M | -142M | -1.95B | -16.78M | 12.18M | 26.82M | 0 |
| FCF Margin % | 0.3% | -9.42% | -1.18% | -2.45% | -7.05% | -9.88% | 0.65% | -2.16% | -0.61% | 3.96% | 0.76% | -2.8% | -1.84% | 4.26% | 3.38% | 4.41% | 6.08% | -4.17% | -2.71% | -7.72% | -148.93% | -7.88% | 1.84% | 12.05% | - |
| FCF Growth % | 217.36% | -739.74% | 50.1% | 63.71% | 28.62% | -1471.68% | 122.56% | -307.59% | -114.08% | 376.16% | 127.03% | -92.69% | -156.72% | 31.54% | -23.77% | -19.52% | 259.49% | -61.44% | 63.2% | 92.72% | -11526.39% | -237.79% | -54.6% | - | - |
| FCF per Share | 0.04 | -1.26 | -0.15 | -0.31 | -1.02 | -1.47 | 0.11 | -0.47 | -0.11 | 0.82 | 0.17 | -0.64 | -0.42 | 0.88 | 0.68 | 0.89 | 1.12 | -0.76 | -0.51 | -1.40 | -24.13 | -0.28 | 0.63 | 0.44 | - |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -0.05x | -0.83x | -0.82x | -0.86x | -0.01x | 0.95x | 2.51x | -0.81x | -0.39x | -0.64x | -0.90x | -0.64x | -1.63x | -102.15x | -4.43x | -3.94x | -4.67x | -3.58x | -0.37x | -1.23x | -0.79x | -0.13x | -5.12x | -3.81x | - |
| Interest Paid | 185.2M | 238.37M | 243.07M | 0 | 0 | 18.88M | 0 | 0 | 260.71M | 226.59M | 349.54M | 130.01M | 226.59M | 123.04M | 130.01M | 125.05M | 132.43M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 1.41M | 0 | 1.05M | 0 | 0 | 5.92M | 0 | 0 | 2.06M | 2.75M | 2.05M | 2.66M | 2.75M | 2.28M | 2.66M | 2.43M | 2.22M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Persistent labor cost inflation
According to the provided cash flow statements, Brookdale consistently reports negative net income while generating positive operating cash flow, with the OCF/NI ratio frequently showing extreme volatility, such as the -3.03 multiple observed in 2026Q1, indicating that non-cash charges like depreciation heavily distort the company's true earnings quality.
The persistent gap between net losses and positive operating cash flow suggests that the company's accounting profitability is significantly impacted by high non-cash depreciation expenses related to its asset base. Investors should monitor whether this cash flow generation is sufficient to cover necessary capital expenditures without relying on external financing.
As reported in financial statements, Brookdale's free cash flow trajectory remains highly erratic, swinging from a peak of $34.9M in 2025Q3 to a low of -$45.5M in 2024Q1, which reflects the company's ongoing struggle to maintain positive cash margins in a high-cost, labor-intensive operating environment.
The inability to generate consistent positive free cash flow suggests that the business model is currently unable to self-fund its operations and capital requirements. This inconsistency warrants further investigation into whether management can achieve the operational scale necessary to stabilize cash flows against inflationary pressures.
Based on reported figures, Brookdale's capital expenditure as a percentage of revenue has fluctuated between 5.3% and 8.4% over the last ten quarters, suggesting that the company must commit significant capital to maintain its aging facility portfolio just to remain competitive in the senior housing market.
This level of capital intensity appears to be a structural requirement rather than a discretionary growth choice, as the company must continuously invest in its physical assets to meet regulatory and quality standards. The high maintenance burden may continue to limit the company's ability to deleverage or return capital to shareholders.
As indicated by recent SEC filings, Brookdale experiences significant quarterly volatility in working capital, with changes ranging from a $54.6M outflow in 2026Q1 to a $34.0M inflow in 2025Q2, highlighting the company's sensitivity to timing differences in collections and payables management within its service-heavy business model.
These fluctuations suggest that the company's cash position is vulnerable to operational timing, which may complicate short-term liquidity planning. Investors should monitor whether these working capital swings are indicative of underlying inefficiencies in the revenue cycle or simply the result of seasonal operational demands.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying BKD stock.
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) generated $218.0M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) reported negative free cash flow of $294.5M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) spent $512.6M 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, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) spent $6.5M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.