Cash conversion efficiency is highly erratic, evidenced by an OCF/NI ratio that swung from -0.46 in 2024Q1 to 10.74 in 2025Q2 due to timing differences in royalty receipts.
| Metric | TTM | 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 | Mar'11 | Mar'10 | Mar'09 | Mar'08 | Mar'07 | Mar'06 | Mar'05 | Mar'04 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 14.56M | 6.82M | 7.06M | 22.48M | -10.19M | -7.03M | -10.32M | -4.37M | -3.44M | -3.95M | -3.66M | -4.12M | -5.43M | -14.44M | -5.17M | -7.22M | -3.78M | -3.08M | -5.48M | -3.35M | -2.86M | -2.1M | -1.11M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 28.64% | 34.8% | 241.99% | -107.12% | -606.33% | -936.15% | -279.41% | -151.4% | -238.67% | -315.72% | -212.77% | -186.48% | -820.69% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Operating CF Growth % | 1417.16% | -3.41% | -68.6% | 320.49% | -45.07% | 31.88% | -135.92% | -27.06% | 12.98% | -7.98% | 11.09% | 24.19% | 62.38% | -179.34% | 28.41% | -91.3% | -22.76% | 43.89% | -63.82% | -16.93% | -36.26% | -89.73% | - |
| Net Income | 4.86M | -3.29M | -4.62M | 4.5M | -8.54M | -4.72M | -10.58M | 45.61M | -5.88M | -2M | -4.95M | -15.03M | -13.13M | -21.01M | -9.57M | -9.82M | -4.62M | -2.37M | -6.26M | 6.44M | -2.92M | -2.14M | -1.47M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 3.74M | 6.53M | 5.22M | 197.51K | 3.16M | 49.41K | 16.08K | 8.62K | 31.29K | 101.33K | 108.66K | 161.7K | 246.59K | 204.18K | 0 | 145.69K | 83.57K | 81.75K | 131.73K | 87.11K | 64.25K | 43.95K | 15.76K |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 2.49M | 2.35M | 2.07M | 4.61M | 3.62M | 2.18M | 1.71M | 1.34M | 1.13M | 701.83K | 343.32K | 739.05K | 16.43K | 1.47M | 0 | 2.18M | 470.31K | 225.3K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 903.05K | 770K | -287.17K | 5.61M | -3.93M | 1.66M | -317.7K | -2.7M | -1.98M | -1.07M | -2.47M | -2.89M | -2.25M | -14.75K | 0 | -661.91K | -265.27K | -108.39K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -4.02M | -4.11M | -2.25K | 11.56M | -5.55M | -6.19M | 1.21M | -49.72M | 1.25M | -1.78M | 3.37M | 12.28M | 10.52M | 6.2M | 3.49M | 553.36K | -367.33K | 60.7K | 721.47K | -10.25M | 21.05K | 316.64K | 389.23K |
| Working Capital Changes | 6.63M | 4.57M | 4.68M | -3.99M | 1.04M | -10.2K | -2.36M | 1.1M | 2.01M | 85.35K | -61.78K | 626.56K | -833.98K | -1.3M | 908.84K | 377.23K | 923.76K | -962.02K | -77.44K | 376.63K | -24.34K | -318.83K | -38.02K |
| Change in Receivables | 7.36M | 3.57M | 4.78M | -5.01M | 1.84M | -1.49M | 871.95K | 1.28M | 1.52M | -4.72K | 72.93K | 635.48K | -511.36K | 68.22K | 18.69K | -19.71K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74.56K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7K | 0 | -2.29M | 4.4M | 0 | -13.28K | 2.86K | 15.4K | 52.59K | 85.69K | 34.09K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | -344.44K | 1.55M | 532.59K | 7K | 0 | 2.29M | -4.4M | 0 | 137.26K | -64.22K | 59.85K | -78.21K | -896.47K | -61.21K | -519.22K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -91.76K | -1.15M | 8.83M | -26.84M | -72.84M | -6.12M | -1.79M | 511.1K | -3.39M | 2.68M | 4.56M | -1.11M | -3.46M | -8.24M | -2.21M | 2.77M | 205.97K | -284.91K | -49.62K | 9.95M | -542.73K | -251.69K | -333.19K |
| Capital Expenditures | -11.53M | -3.34M | -168.59K | -1.53M | -33.99M | -4.14M | -581.04K | -27K | -24.78K | -17K | 5.3M | 92.35K | -187.83K | -1.37M | -266.91K | -265.81K | -337.95K | -1.02M | -265.2K | -372.41K | -277.54K | -162.98K | -67.81K |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 43.29% | 14.05% | 0.83% | 16.43% | 357.19% | 357.6% | 52.73% | 1.73% | 1.09% | 1.03% | 456.67% | 4.77% | 6.45% | 77.91% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Acquisitions | 0 | -4.74M | 0 | -34.59M | -37.62M | 0 | 5.02M | 0 | -1.64M | 2.99M | 0 | -915.73K | -2.61M | -6.37M | 20.33K | -94.35K | -199.01K | 0 | 15.84K | 6.7M | 0 | 0 | -216.22K |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 10.01M | 4.51M | 3.8M | 11.21M | 44.37K | -2.74M | -832.9K | -258.49K | 220.15K | -199.96K | -740.34K | -67.26K | -395.17K | 712.37K | 461.88K | 826.26K | 174.86K | 963.09K | 86.31K | -94.98K | -25.85K | 14.63K | -49.16K |
| Cash from Financing | -18.67M | -4M | -12.12M | -706.76K | 75.28M | 1.69M | 2.16M | -50.66K | 6.99M | 95.08K | 0 | 0 | 343.32K | 2.96M | 512.41K | 42.8M | 5.82M | 2.92M | 3.6M | 48.54K | 3.77M | 2.15M | 3.49M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -8.77M | 340K | -10M | -15.43M | 42.02M | 0 | 0 | 6.28M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -10.45M | -5.66M | 1.1M | 14.19M | 17.24M | 2.16M | 2.16M | 185.51K | 5.49M | 128.74K | 0 | 0 | 343.32K | 0 | 516.3K | 41.83M | 5.17M | 2.92M | 3.6M | 48.54K | 3.77M | 2.15M | 2.92M |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -10.45M | -5.66M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 553.7K | 1.32M | -3.22M | 534.46K | 16.01M | -470.1K | 0 | -6.51M | 1.5M | -33.66K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.96M | -3.89K | 970.14K | 649.38K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 571.99K |
| Net Change in Cash | -4.29M | 6.19M | 3.84M | -5.85M | -27.3M | -13M | -13.15M | 60.68M | 333.93K | -1.81M | -587.82K | -5.37M | -8.47M | -19.77M | 2.31M | 38.35M | 2.25M | -439.68K | -1.93M | 6.66M | 361.8K | -202.21K | 2.05M |
| Free Cash Flow | 3.8M | 3.32M | 6.89M | 15.3M | -42.05M | -11.17M | -10.9M | -4.4M | -2.76M | -3.95M | 1.63M | -4.03M | -5.62M | -15.82M | -5.35M | -7.49M | -4.11M | -4.1M | -5.75M | -3.72M | -3.14M | -2.26M | -1.17M |
| FCF Margin % | 14.28% | 13.94% | 33.96% | 164.76% | -441.9% | -963.93% | -988.88% | -281.14% | -121.49% | -238.67% | 140.95% | -208% | -192.92% | -898.61% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| FCF Growth % | -70.09% | -51.84% | -54.98% | 136.39% | -276.43% | -2.52% | -147.68% | -59.33% | 30.17% | -341.88% | 140.6% | 28.37% | 64.45% | -195.81% | 28.6% | -82.04% | -0.35% | 28.67% | -54.55% | -18.46% | -38.71% | -92.65% | - |
| FCF per Share | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.14 | -0.47 | -0.13 | -0.13 | -0.05 | -0.04 | -0.05 | 0.02 | -0.06 | -0.08 | -0.26 | -0.10 | -0.19 | -0.14 | -0.15 | -0.23 | -0.16 | -0.15 | -0.13 | -0.12 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.78x | -2.07x | -1.50x | 5.00x | 0.34x | 1.49x | 0.98x | -0.10x | 0.59x | 1.98x | 0.74x | 0.27x | 0.41x | 0.69x | 0.54x | 0.74x | 0.82x | 1.30x | 0.88x | -0.52x | 0.98x | 0.98x | 0.75x |
| Interest Paid | 660K | 3.82M | 4.16M | 4.29M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 1.08M | 581K | 709K | 167K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Exploration-driven cash flow volatility
As reported in financial statements, EMX exhibits a highly erratic relationship between net income and operating cash flow, with the OCF/NI ratio swinging from -0.46 in 2024Q1 to 10.74 in 2025Q2, underscoring the disconnect between accounting profit and actual cash generation within the royalty model.
The extreme variance in the OCF/NI ratio suggests that net income is heavily influenced by non-cash items, such as fair value adjustments on equity holdings, rather than core operational performance. Investors should interpret this as a signal that reported earnings are an unreliable proxy for the company's ability to generate liquidity from its mineral interests.
Based on EMX's reported figures, free cash flow has demonstrated significant instability, oscillating between a peak of $6.5M in 2023Q3 and a deficit of $6.2M in 2025Q1, reflecting the lumpy nature of option payments and the high fixed costs inherent in the prospect generation business model.
The inability to maintain consistent positive free cash flow suggests that the company's current royalty portfolio is not yet sufficiently scaled to cover its aggressive exploration and evaluation overhead. This trajectory warrants caution, as it implies that the company remains dependent on periodic, non-recurring cash inflows to sustain its operations.
According to recent SEC filings, EMX's working capital changes have been a primary driver of cash flow volatility, with a notable $5.2M inflow in 2025Q2 contrasting sharply with the $1.9M outflow observed in 2024Q3, indicating significant timing differences in royalty and option payment receipts.
These fluctuations suggest that the company's cash position is highly sensitive to the timing of partner payments and jurisdictional regulatory cycles. Analysts should monitor these swings closely, as they may obscure the underlying trend in recurring royalty revenue versus one-time transactional payments.
Based on the provided data, EMX has consistently utilized cash for share repurchases, including $2.6M in 2025Q2, even during periods of negative free cash flow, which appears to prioritize shareholder return over the retention of liquidity for potential future royalty acquisitions or debt reduction.
This capital allocation strategy may indicate management's confidence in the long-term value of the asset base, yet it introduces financial risk given the company's inconsistent cash generation. Investors should consider whether this aggressive buyback pace is sustainable without a more reliable stream of production-based royalty income.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying EMX stock.
EMX Royalty Corporation (EMX) generated $6.8M in net cash from operating activities in 2024. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
EMX Royalty Corporation (EMX) generated $3.3M in free cash flow in 2024. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
EMX Royalty Corporation (EMX) spent $3.3M on capital expenditures in 2024. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2024, EMX Royalty Corporation (EMX) spent $5.7M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.