Persistent negative free cash flow, highlighted by a $139.3M outflow in 2026Q1, underscores the company's heavy reliance on external capital to fund its ongoing infrastructure expansion.
| Cash from Operations | 568.73M | 278.25M | 42.9M | 65.11M | 205.19M | -56.73M | -23.77M | -832K |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 87.22% | 8.4% | 12.96% | 32.04% | -10.42% | -39.4% | -1.4% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 6654.87% | 548.66% | -34.12% | -68.27% | 461.66% | -138.73% | -2756.37% | - |
| Net Income | -1.22B | -288.62M | -1.32B | -246.49M | -2.15B | 47.31M | -12.21M | -11.92M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 66.32M | 68.91M | 120.12M | 96.44M | 226.09M | 33.36M | 9.4M | 6.12M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 82.05M | 98.24M | 51.92M | 58.89M | 182.89M | 38.94M | 3.04M | 2.88M |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -18.52M | 9.53M | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 1.06B | -124.82M | 1.21B | -394.77M | 1.88B | -136.36M | -2.87M | -3.59M |
| Working Capital Changes | 570.14M | 524.53M | -27.64M | 551.03M | 78.61M | -49.52M | -21.13M | 5.68M |
| Change in Receivables | 10.1M | 0 | 659K | -744K | -7.58M | -7.41M | -1.55M | -83K |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | 30.95M | 10.78M | -12.27M | 118.6M | 26.71M | -21.99M | -1.77M | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -1.03B | -740.75M | -95.19M | -3M | -590.78M | -423.84M | -15.14M | -37.36M |
| Capital Expenditures | -1.03B | -729M | -94.96M | -16.16M | -601.66M | -59.27M | -1.57M | -37.41M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 290.32% | 228.51% | 18.6% | 3.22% | 93.96% | 10.89% | 2.6% | 62.85% |
| Acquisitions | 2.63M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.85M | -365.21M | -13.67M | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -6.71M | -6.75M | -231K | 13.16M | -10.82M | 645K | 92K | 52K |
| Cash from Financing | 912.48M | -63.1M | 819.57M | -44.65M | 306.15M | 603.53M | 40.72M | 28.69M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 959.69M | -10.29M | 766.91M | -40.99M | 117.74M | 613.7M | 38.08M | -832K |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 5.61M | 6.91M | 55M | 0 | -31.65M | 671.26M | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -31.65M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -52.82M | -59.73M | -2.34M | -3.66M | 220.06M | -681.43M | 2.64M | 29.53M |
| Net Change in Cash | 366.67M | -525.6M | 767.27M | 17.47M | -79.44M | 122.96M | 1.81M | -9.5M |
| Free Cash Flow | -471.2M | -450.75M | -52.06M | 48.95M | -396.47M | -116.01M | -25.33M | -38.24M |
| FCF Margin % | -132.83% | -141.29% | -10.2% | 9.74% | -61.92% | -21.31% | -42% | -64.25% |
| FCF Growth % | -175.17% | -765.74% | -206.36% | 112.35% | -241.75% | -357.94% | 33.76% | - |
| FCF per Share | -1.46 | -1.42 | -0.20 | 0.13 | -1.16 | -0.50 | -0.07 | -0.10 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.39x | -0.96x | -0.03x | -0.26x | -0.10x | -1.20x | 1.95x | 0.07x |
| Interest Paid | 7.38M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 86.01M | 38.18M | 2.9M | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 204K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.76M | 9.62M | 0 | 0 |
Capital intensive infrastructure requirements
As reported in recent financial statements, the divergence between net income and operating cash flow is stark, with 2026Q1 showing a net loss of $347.2M against $249.9M in operating cash flow, highlighting the heavy reliance on non-cash adjustments to reconcile the company's actual liquidity position.
The persistent gap between accounting losses and operating cash flow suggests that non-cash charges, likely related to asset impairments or depreciation, are significantly distorting the bottom line. Investors should monitor whether this cash flow generation is sustainable or merely a byproduct of aggressive accounting treatments that mask the underlying operational burn.
Based on quarterly filings, Core Scientific has consistently posted negative free cash flow, with a $139.3M outflow in 2026Q1, indicating that the company's capital-intensive infrastructure expansion continues to outpace its ability to generate self-sustaining cash from its core digital asset mining and hosting operations.
The inability to achieve positive free cash flow despite revenue growth suggests that the company remains in a capital-intensive growth phase that requires constant external funding. This trajectory warrants further investigation into whether the current infrastructure investments will eventually yield the promised high-margin returns or continue to drain liquidity.
According to SEC filings, Core Scientific's capital expenditure reached $389.3M in 2026Q1, representing a significant commitment to hardware and infrastructure that underscores the company's vulnerability to the rapid obsolescence of mining equipment and the high costs associated with maintaining its energized power capacity.
The high level of capital intensity relative to revenue suggests that a substantial portion of cash is being funneled into maintenance and growth capex just to remain competitive in a difficult mining environment. This reliance on continuous reinvestment may limit the company's flexibility to pivot toward more stable hosting services without further dilutive financing.
As evidenced by the $62.2M working capital inflow in 2026Q1, Core Scientific's cash flow is heavily influenced by fluctuations in current assets and liabilities, which often serve as a temporary buffer against the company's underlying operational losses and high fixed-cost structure.
The volatility in working capital changes suggests that the company may be managing its payables or inventory levels to artificially smooth out cash flow metrics. Analysts should be cautious, as these shifts are often transitory and do not represent a fundamental improvement in the company's core cash-generating efficiency.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CORZ stock.
Core Scientific, Inc. (CORZ) generated $278.3M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Core Scientific, Inc. (CORZ) reported negative free cash flow of $450.8M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Core Scientific, Inc. (CORZ) spent $729.0M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.