Operational efficiency remains challenged, evidenced by a 2025Q4 free cash flow of -$185.1 million and a significant working capital outflow of $256.2 million.
| Metric | 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 | -172.26M | -238.32M | 550.46M | -424.25M | 102.81M | -46.13M | -239.54M | 345.59M | 625.59M | 393.59M | 948.49M | 359.22M | 198.18M | 45.79M |
| Operating CF Margin % | -14.97% | -29.54% | 82.22% | -47.99% | 13.1% | -2.97% | -6.68% | 6.94% | 12.58% | 8.62% | 25.13% | 19.33% | 26.43% | 15.9% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 27.72% | -143.3% | 229.75% | -512.65% | 322.86% | 80.74% | -169.31% | -44.76% | 58.95% | -58.5% | 164.04% | 81.26% | 332.82% | - |
| Net Income | -235.15M | -601.59M | -602.9M | -513.48M | -351.13M | 416.73M | -313.98M | 1.17B | 1.35B | -80.53M | 176.35M | 68.32M | 62.02M | 9.84M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 147.24M | 51.45M | 35.26M | 53.02M | 50.82M | 68.55M | 65.47M | 80.11M | 136.3M | 163.36M | 146.84M | 79.63M | 25.88M | 10.86M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 19.84M | 26.1M | 33.55M | 7.86M | 7.15M | 80.98M | 127.44M | 85.12M | 73.32M | 306.15M | 315.74M | 173.77M | 52.09M | 20.29M |
| Deferred Taxes | -11.02M | 48.19M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 163.06M | 351.72M | 478.52M | 348.71M | 204.66M | -798.86M | 37.18M | -630.84M | -891.88M | 135.3M | 108.98M | 107.97M | 53.52M | 25.09M |
| Working Capital Changes | -256.21M | -114.19M | 606.03M | -320.37M | 191.3M | 186.47M | -155.65M | -355.7M | -40.34M | -130.69M | 200.58M | -70.47M | 4.67M | -23.39M |
| Change in Receivables | -753K | -113.42M | -122.48M | -103.57M | 56.99M | 179.22M | 163.37M | -25.3M | -63.52M | 26.07M | -308.57M | -157.6M | -55.87M | -23.39M |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | -7.71M | 47.73M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -65.57M | -34.09M | -49.06M | 189.05M | 220.84M | 1.88B | -1.09B | 538.64M | -231.49M | -1.02B | -341.44M | -1.11B | -100.79M | -51.24M |
| Capital Expenditures | -12.85M | -22.83M | -9.68M | -6.78M | -46.82M | -59.27M | -102.17M | -65.4M | -25.89M | -117.69M | -61.9M | -36.56M | -27.64M | -12.31M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 1.12% | 2.83% | 1.45% | 0.77% | 5.97% | 3.82% | 2.85% | 1.31% | 0.52% | 2.58% | 1.64% | 1.97% | 3.69% | 4.28% |
| Acquisitions | -31.36M | 0 | -238.15M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -28.44M | 0 | -77.39M | -366.83M | -249.42M | -196.57M | -55.78M | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 1.63M | 3.55M | 198.77M | 195.84M | 267.65M | 1.94B | -954.61M | 604.04M | -128.21M | -538.94M | -30.11M | -876.49M | -17.36M | -38.92M |
| Cash from Financing | -64.22M | 69.11M | -6.78M | -4.87M | -9.64M | -1.45B | -485.07M | -546.51M | 508.07M | 150.42M | 81.63M | 1.31B | 304.27M | 628K |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 0 | -5M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.7M | 0 | -329.14M | -138.66M | 323.2M | 127.33M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -18.86M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -175K | -221.75M | 0 | -178.99M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.44B | -500.6M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -17.69M | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -175K | -221.75M | 0 | -178.99M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -45.36M | 74.11M | -6.78M | -4.87M | -9.64M | -19.58M | 15.7M | 4.38M | 646.72M | 6.21M | -45.7M | 1.31B | 321.96M | 628K |
| Net Change in Cash | -326.41M | -187.16M | 503.7M | -68.21M | 284.25M | 314.81M | -1.8B | 382.34M | 828.89M | -264.48M | 727.5M | 585.2M | 530.54M | 134.38M |
| Free Cash Flow | -185.1M | -261.15M | 540.78M | -431.03M | 55.99M | -105.4M | -341.72M | 280.19M | 599.7M | 275.89M | 886.59M | 322.66M | 170.54M | 33.47M |
| FCF Margin % | -16.09% | -32.37% | 80.77% | -48.76% | 7.14% | -6.79% | -9.52% | 5.62% | 12.05% | 6.04% | 23.49% | 17.36% | 22.74% | 11.63% |
| FCF Growth % | 29.12% | -148.29% | 225.46% | -869.8% | 153.12% | 69.16% | -221.96% | -53.28% | 117.36% | -68.88% | 174.77% | 89.2% | 409.49% | - |
| FCF per Share | -301.77 | -434.37 | 918.06 | -746.41 | 97.89 | -188.29 | -624.01 | 486.28 | 1051.99 | 497.20 | 1553.44 | 601.20 | 375.31 | 79.93 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.67x | 0.39x | -0.91x | 0.83x | -0.29x | -0.11x | 0.70x | 0.31x | 0.47x | -4.89x | 5.38x | 5.26x | 3.20x | 4.65x |
| Interest Paid | 4.95M | 57K | 0 | 0 | 8K | 223K | 0 | 2.96M | 11.99M | 7.31M | 547K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 11.73M | 2.69M | 1.75M | 12.37M | 5.97M | 9.02M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Unproven AI hardware pivot
As indicated by the 2025Q4 financial data, Cheetah Mobile reported a net loss of $190.7M alongside an operating cash outflow of $172.3M, resulting in an OCF/NI ratio of 0.90 that highlights the persistent difficulty in translating accounting losses into meaningful cash generation during this transition.
The proximity of operating cash flow to net income suggests that the company's losses are not merely accounting artifacts but reflect genuine cash consumption. Investors should monitor whether this alignment persists, as it implies that the underlying business model is currently unable to generate positive cash flow from its core operations.
Based on the most recent quarterly figures, Cheetah Mobile recorded a free cash flow of -$185.1M, representing a significant FCF margin of -59.9% that underscores the heavy capital burden associated with the company's ongoing pivot toward AI-driven service robotics and hardware-heavy infrastructure.
The substantial negative FCF trajectory indicates that the company is currently in a high-burn phase, likely driven by the costs of scaling its robotics footprint. This trend warrants further investigation into whether these expenditures are creating long-term value or simply subsidizing an unproven business model.
According to the 2025Q4 report, Cheetah Mobile incurred $12.8M in capital expenditures, representing a 4.2% CapEx-to-revenue ratio that reflects the company's shift toward physical asset deployment in the robotics sector rather than its historical reliance on low-cost, high-margin software distribution models.
While the absolute CapEx figure appears modest relative to the company's cash reserves, the shift toward hardware-intensive operations suggests a permanent increase in capital intensity. This transition may permanently alter the company's cash flow profile, moving it away from the asset-light nature of its legacy utility applications.
Financial statements for 2025Q4 reveal a significant working capital outflow of $256.2M, which appears to be a primary driver of the company's cash burn and suggests potential inefficiencies in managing inventory or receivables as the business scales its new robotics and hardware-focused revenue streams.
The substantial negative change in working capital suggests that the company is tying up significant liquidity in its operations, possibly due to inventory build-up or delayed collections. This development warrants close scrutiny, as it may indicate that the company's growth is becoming increasingly capital-intensive and difficult to manage.
As reported in recent filings, Cheetah Mobile utilized $31.4M for net acquisitions in 2025Q4, demonstrating a clear management intent to deploy its substantial cash reserves to accelerate the transition into AI and robotics despite the absence of consistent operating cash flow from the core business.
The use of cash for acquisitions suggests that management is prioritizing inorganic growth to bridge the gap in its technological capabilities. Investors should monitor whether these deployments yield tangible returns, as the current strategy relies heavily on the company's ability to sustain its cash-rich balance sheet.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CMCM stock.
Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) generated $-172.3M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) reported negative free cash flow of $185.1M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) spent $12.8M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.