Free cash flow has deteriorated to a negative 2.1% margin in 2026Q1, driven by capital expenditures that have climbed to 15.6% of revenue.
| 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'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 | Dec'98 | Dec'96 | Dec'95 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 854.62M | 976.68M | 957.08M | 914.52M | 976.11M | 1.01B | 289.03M | 548.99M | 434.53M | 422.04M | 275.08M | 339.85M | 322.86M | 274.89M | 142.44M | 253.51M | 285.07M | 241.03M | 220.48M | 283.68M | 419.51M | 419.91M | 269.59M | 172.69M | 178.17M | 158.06M | 213.13M | 157.7M | 121.7M | 103.9M | 83.1M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 23.87% | 24.35% | 24.46% | 27.45% | 29.98% | 13.27% | 16.51% | 16.54% | 17.58% | 12.51% | 15.45% | 15.07% | 9.5% | 5.74% | 10.88% | 13.32% | 14.69% | 12.38% | 14.2% | 19.13% | 19.43% | 15.79% | 13.78% | 14.5% | 14.34% | 19.68% | 15.98% | 12.48% | 12.68% | 10.71% |
| Operating CF Growth % | -42.55% | 2.05% | 4.65% | -6.31% | -3.39% | 249.58% | -47.35% | 26.34% | 2.96% | 53.42% | -19.06% | 5.26% | 17.45% | 92.98% | -43.81% | -11.07% | 18.27% | 9.32% | -22.28% | -32.38% | -0.09% | 55.76% | 56.12% | -3.08% | 12.72% | -25.84% | 35.15% | 29.58% | 17.13% | 25.03% | 9.63% |
| Net Income | 1.84B | 1.84B | 577.95M | 620.02M | 639.38M | 463.85M | -134.7M | 157.64M | 114.7M | 168M | 205.47M | 47.23M | -41.64M | -119.34M | -923.08M | -8M | 18.69M | 4.24M | -223M | 303.04M | 116.78M | 144.61M | 111.45M | 40.93M | 40.01M | 24.95M | 62.77M | 40M | 28.6M | 29.6M | 36.2M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 329.48M | 302.71M | 276.64M | 256.78M | 258.18M | 267.79M | 281.03M | 276.57M | 229.98M | 217.52M | 196.23M | 207.12M | 251.04M | 278.41M | 214.33M | 195.34M | 199.28M | 164.43M | 173.73M | 171.14M | 212.67M | 179.72M | 136.13M | 94.22M | 90.08M | 99.81M | 90.48M | 74.1M | 73.4M | 60.6M | 54.5M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 29.62M | 0 | 29.67M | 32.38M | 34.07M | 37.77M | 9.2M | 25.2M | 25.38M | 17.41M | 15.52M | 19.26M | 18.48M | 18.89M | 12.25M | 10M | 11.32M | 15.89M | 0 | 16.06M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | -26.22M | -23.48M | 58.15M | -29.84M | 51.03M | 133.86M | -31.64M | 41.43M | 34.47M | 5.2M | -199.05M | 16.31M | 1.49M | 2.99M | -218.59M | -2.38M | 6.28M | 15.57M | -44.15M | 68.37M | -14.11M | -18.25M | 30.63M | 28.58M | 11.87M | 17.31M | 24.02M | 20M | 26.3M | 3.9M | 14.1M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -1.54B | -1.5B | 114.89M | 161.7M | 95.36M | 170.48M | 234.46M | 78.34M | 11.1M | 7.85M | 63.08M | 96.85M | 106.02M | 105.5M | 1.07B | 29.48M | -7.37M | 37.24M | 336.99M | -250.87M | 86.32M | 68.57M | -50.68M | 15.31M | 42.01M | 9.05M | 6.84M | 3.7M | 5.9M | 134.6M | 200K |
| Working Capital Changes | 228.32M | 350.06M | -100.22M | -126.53M | -101.9M | -63.34M | -69.32M | -30.19M | 18.9M | 6.05M | -6.16M | -10.92M | 5.88M | -11.55M | -15.49M | 31.72M | 47.63M | 4.76M | -32.38M | -8.49M | 17.85M | 45.25M | 42.07M | -5.89M | -6.88M | 6.95M | 29.02M | 21.3M | -12.5M | 9.6M | -21.9M |
| Change in Receivables | 31.23M | 47.97M | 5.96M | -28.81M | -16.76M | -36.03M | 1.34M | -315K | -772K | -9.94M | -1.02M | 3.64M | 5.94M | -7.35M | 6.05M | -9.8M | 11.85M | -2.9M | 5.1M | 3.07M | 3.33M | 12.93M | -8.91M | 400K | -2.18M | -1.38M | 4.53M | 13M | -8.9M | -900K | 100K |
| Change in Inventory | 1.05M | 1.05M | -543K | 1.48M | -2.08M | 2.53M | -515K | -2.03M | 1.7M | 565K | 884K | -301K | 226K | -1.18M | 575K | 114K | -519K | -67K | -56K | -103K | 3.05M | -1.8M | -1.66M | 70K | 101K | 1.63M | -19K | 3.6M | 300K | 100K | -200K |
| Change in Payables | 285.67M | 373.73M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.05M | 18.49M | 13.22M | -11.61M | 13.21M | 28.57M | -31.32M | -12.35M | 43.1M | 36.93M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | 1.14B | 1.04B | -433.91M | -264.33M | -422.31M | -129.58M | -171.18M | -231.43M | -1.13B | -189.77M | -140.8M | -126.64M | -179.98M | 76.33M | -1.44B | -362.79M | -63.74M | -165.13M | -673.28M | -380.24M | -352K | -608.44M | -1.38B | -131.6M | -139.01M | -279.37M | -246.7M | -355.6M | -57.5M | -105.7M | -145.5M |
| Capital Expenditures | -658.5M | -673.22M | -400.4M | -373.95M | -269.15M | -199.45M | -175.03M | -207.64M | -161.54M | -190.46M | -160.36M | -131.17M | -149.37M | -144.52M | -125.97M | -87.22M | -87.48M | -157.56M | -667.4M | -296.89M | -436.46M | -618.44M | -268.85M | 0 | -7.5M | -91.06M | -139.84M | -261.2M | -68M | -107.7M | -181.2M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 16.07% | 16.45% | 10.19% | 10% | 7.57% | 5.92% | 8.03% | 6.24% | 6.15% | 7.93% | 7.29% | 5.96% | 6.97% | 4.99% | 5.07% | 3.74% | 4.09% | 9.6% | 37.47% | 14.87% | 19.91% | 28.62% | 15.75% | - | 0.61% | 8.26% | 12.91% | 26.46% | 6.97% | 13.15% | 23.35% |
| Acquisitions | 41.76M | 0 | -30.27M | 0 | -167.86M | 0 | -11.2M | -5.54M | -934.07M | -1.15M | -592.7M | 0 | 153K | 343.75M | -1.32B | -278.46M | 26.02M | -9.38M | 0 | -80.9M | 0 | 0 | -1.1B | -81.54M | -7.5M | -132M | 0 | -261.2M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 1.75B | -41.96M | -3.25M | 109.62M | 14.71M | 69.87M | 15.05M | -18.26M | -39.23M | 1.84M | 612.26M | 4.53M | -42.38M | -122.9M | 14.59M | 27.24M | 1.9M | 0 | 115K | -1.95M | 436.11M | 10M | 11.15M | 31.47M | -53.33M | -56.3M | -106.85M | -4.2M | 10.5M | -150.7M | 2M |
| Cash from Financing | -1.93B | -1.98B | -509.5M | -637.25M | -615.85M | -1.06B | 146.7M | -320.31M | 746.24M | -215.34M | -99.25M | -199.72M | -175.38M | -366.21M | 1.31B | 142.41M | -168.91M | -80.85M | 385.25M | 92.86M | -438.17M | 216.22M | 1.18B | -144.25M | 75.11M | 121.81M | 35.44M | 208.2M | -66.6M | -32.3M | 78.7M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -1.25B | -1.14B | 254M | -141.5M | 3.22M | -892.75M | 173.16M | -231.19M | 136.06M | -164.91M | -82.16M | -179.17M | -177.2M | -594.33M | 1.31B | 143.09M | -45.66M | -72.45M | 411.09M | 123.88M | -423.27M | 236.79M | 1.18B | -128.71M | 60.92M | 121.12M | 35.41M | 207M | -67.9M | 139.2M | -34.5M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -605.36M | -778.32M | -685.85M | -412.65M | -541.64M | -80.78M | -11.12M | -28.05M | -59.57M | -31.93M | 0 | 0 | -2.36M | 216.47M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7.95M | 472K | 15.56M | 19.51M | 22M | 22.98M | -5.87M | 14.18M | 694K | 34K | 1.2M | 1.3M | 35.2M | 2.1M |
| Dividends Paid | -57.27M | -58.17M | -62.66M | -63.61M | -48.16M | 0 | -7.81M | -28.95M | -24.73M | -11.29M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -26.33M | -51.2M | -46.66M | -40.73M | -24.72M | -9.68M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -605.36M | -778.32M | -685.85M | -412.65M | -541.64M | -80.78M | -11.12M | -28.05M | -59.57M | -31.93M | 0 | 0 | -2.36M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7.95M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -13.39M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -14.2M | -6.2M | -14.99M | -19.48M | -29.27M | -85.17M | -7.53M | -32.13M | -5.52M | -7.21M | -17.09M | -20.56M | 30K | -2.1M | -627K | -675K | -123.25M | -456K | 17K | 4.61M | 12.26M | -1.84M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -206.7M | 100K |
| Net Change in Cash | 61.48M | 37.4M | 13.43M | 12.87M | -62.06M | -177.87M | 264.55M | -2.75M | 45.92M | 16.93M | 35.04M | 13.48M | -32.5M | -14.71M | 14.07M | 33.13M | 52.42M | -4.95M | -67.55M | -3.7M | -19.01M | 27.68M | 72.51M | -103.17M | 114.27M | 508K | 1.87M | 10.3M | -2.4M | -34.1M | 16.3M |
| Free Cash Flow | 281.12M | 388.46M | 556.67M | 540.57M | 706.96M | 810.96M | 114M | 341.36M | 272.98M | 231.57M | 114.73M | 208.68M | 173.49M | 130.37M | 16.47M | 166.29M | 197.59M | 83.47M | -446.92M | -13.21M | -16.95M | -198.54M | 746K | 172.69M | 170.67M | 67M | 73.28M | -103.5M | 53.7M | -3.8M | -98.1M |
| FCF Margin % | 6.86% | 9.49% | 14.16% | 14.46% | 19.88% | 24.07% | 5.23% | 10.26% | 10.39% | 9.65% | 5.22% | 9.49% | 8.1% | 4.5% | 0.66% | 7.13% | 9.23% | 5.09% | -25.09% | -0.66% | -0.77% | -9.19% | 0.04% | 13.78% | 13.89% | 6.08% | 6.77% | -10.49% | 5.51% | -0.46% | -12.64% |
| FCF Growth % | -41.69% | -30.22% | 2.98% | -23.54% | -12.82% | 611.36% | -66.6% | 25.05% | 17.88% | 101.85% | -45.02% | 20.28% | 33.07% | 691.52% | -90.09% | -15.84% | 136.71% | 118.68% | -3282.69% | 22.06% | 91.46% | -26713.4% | -99.57% | 1.18% | 154.74% | -8.57% | 170.8% | -292.74% | 1513.16% | 96.13% | 57.66% |
| FCF per Share | 3.66 | 4.75 | 5.96 | 5.33 | 6.49 | 7.11 | 1.00 | 3.00 | 2.37 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.84 | 1.58 | 1.34 | 0.19 | 1.90 | 2.28 | 0.96 | -5.09 | -0.15 | -0.19 | -2.19 | 0.01 | 2.62 | 2.60 | 1.07 | 1.18 | -1.68 | 0.86 | -0.07 | -1.73 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.15x | 0.53x | 1.66x | 1.47x | 1.53x | 2.18x | -2.15x | 3.48x | 3.78x | 2.23x | 0.66x | 7.19x | -6.09x | -3.42x | -0.16x | -65.78x | 27.65x | 56.83x | -0.99x | 0.94x | 3.59x | 2.90x | 2.42x | 4.22x | 4.45x | 6.34x | 3.40x | 4.12x | 4.26x | 3.68x | 2.30x |
| Interest Paid | 131.31M | 151M | 173.18M | 166.68M | 144.02M | 205.24M | 214.69M | 231.73M | 179.15M | 174.09M | 197.47M | 178.43M | 203.76M | 319.62M | 239.87M | 233.04M | 129.07M | 142.67M | 110.62M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 101.5M | 131.77M | 144.51M | 164.48M | 140.92M | 5.72M | 0 | 0 | 5.66M | 5.19M | 33.72M | 0 | 1.25M | 0 | 492K | 4.95M | 0 | 1.77M | 13.27M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Capital intensity and cyclicality
As reported in recent financial filings, Boyd Gaming's operating cash flow to net income ratio has experienced extreme volatility, reaching a low of 0.17 in 2025Q3, which suggests that headline earnings are frequently decoupled from the actual cash generated by core gaming operations.
The significant variance between net income and operating cash flow indicates that non-cash items and non-operating gains are heavily distorting the company's reported profitability. Investors should monitor this divergence closely, as it implies that the quality of earnings may be lower than the headline figures suggest.
Based on the provided quarterly data, Boyd Gaming's free cash flow margin has deteriorated from a peak of 16.8% in 2024Q1 to a negative 2.1% in 2026Q1, signaling a concerning trend where capital requirements are increasingly outpacing the cash generated from operations.
This downward trajectory in free cash flow suggests that the company's ability to self-fund its operations and capital returns is weakening. The shift into negative territory warrants further investigation into whether this is a temporary spike in maintenance spending or a structural decline in operational efficiency.
According to the company's cash flow statements, capital expenditures as a percentage of revenue have climbed from 9.3% in 2024Q1 to 15.6% in 2026Q1, indicating that the business is becoming increasingly capital-intensive to maintain its existing regional and local gaming assets.
The rising capital intensity suggests that Boyd may be forced to reinvest a larger portion of its revenue just to keep its properties competitive in a softening consumer environment. This trend may limit the company's flexibility to pursue opportunistic acquisitions or return capital to shareholders.
As reported in financial statements, Boyd Gaming has continued to prioritize share repurchases, with $155 million deployed in 2026Q1 despite the company reporting negative free cash flow for the same period, which appears to be an aggressive use of liquidity during a period of operational softening.
The decision to maintain high levels of share repurchases while free cash flow is under pressure suggests a management focus on supporting the stock price that may be at odds with the current cash generation reality. Investors should consider whether this capital allocation strategy is sustainable if the current cash flow deterioration persists.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying BYD stock.
Boyd Gaming Corporation (BYD) generated $976.7M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Boyd Gaming Corporation (BYD) generated $388.5M 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.
Boyd Gaming Corporation (BYD) spent $673.2M 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, Boyd Gaming Corporation (BYD) returned $58.2M to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $778.3M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.