Liquidity is under pressure as cash reserves declined from $61.3 million in 2026Q1 to $30.3 million by 2025Q4, reflecting a structural reliance on external funding to cover negative free cash flow.
| Cash from Operations | -18.88M | -22.75M | -19.03M | -21.78M | -8.73M | -32.08M | -24.62M | -22.95M | -7.53M | -662.2K |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | - | -46.3% | -60.37% | -55.42% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Operating CF Growth % | -470.47% | -19.55% | 12.66% | -149.43% | 72.78% | -30.28% | -7.3% | -204.92% | -1036.55% | - |
| Net Income | -19.05M | -22.4M | -8.07M | -13.34M | -62.43M | -39.05M | -29.81M | -25.6M | -13.25M | -2.26M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 107K | 116K | 137K | 126K | 118K | 72K | 45K | 23K | 6.1K | 122 |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 1.7M | 2.32M | 3.75M | 4M | 4.84M | 4.41M | 3.82M | 2.25M | 441.91K | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 554K | -269K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 531K | -469K | -15.69M | -10.03M | 48.72M | 237K | 341K | -337K | 4.98M | 1.17M |
| Working Capital Changes | -2.16M | -2.32M | 842K | -2.55M | 19K | 1.7M | 1.25M | 713K | 301K | 434.63K |
| Change in Receivables | 0 | 0 | 3.73M | -897K | -2.84M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | -1.88M | -1.94M | -2M | 723K | 2.51M | -1.58M | 894K | 775K | 842.72K | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -35K | 4.46M | 13.81M | -4.76M | 18.68M | 27.41M | -18.59M | -2.17M | -37.43M | -2.2K |
| Capital Expenditures | -47K | -48K | -85K | -50K | -279K | -57K | -202K | -74K | -34.86K | -2.2K |
| CapEx % of Revenue | - | - | 0.21% | 0.14% | 1.77% | - | - | - | - | - |
| Acquisitions | 12K | 12K | 0 | 0 | 700K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | 65.68M | 30.43M | 164K | -9.23M | -1.22M | 31.06M | 53.95M | 9.84M | 66.37M | 7.77M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 0 | 0 | 0 | -9.13M | -1.43M | 0 | 0 | 9.88M | 1.6M | 7.77M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 65.68M | 30.43M | 164K | -260K | 0 | 29.91M | 53.78M | -156K | 64.47M | 100 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | -260K | 0 | 0 | 0 | -156K | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165K | 214K | 1.15M | 163K | 111K | 291.56K | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | 46.82M | 12.19M | -5.13M | -35.89M | 8.74M | 26.38M | 10.76M | -15.29M | 21.4M | 7.1M |
| Free Cash Flow | -18.93M | -22.79M | -19.11M | -21.83M | -9.01M | -32.14M | -24.83M | -23.02M | -7.56M | -664.4K |
| FCF Margin % | - | - | -46.5% | -60.51% | -57.19% | - | - | - | - | - |
| FCF Growth % | -2.49% | -19.27% | 12.47% | -142.27% | 71.96% | -29.45% | -7.83% | -204.49% | -1038.04% | - |
| FCF per Share | -0.20 | -0.25 | -0.54 | -0.63 | -0.27 | -1.12 | -1.22 | -1.32 | -0.62 | -0.06 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.99x | 1.02x | 2.36x | 1.63x | 0.14x | 0.82x | 0.83x | 0.90x | 0.57x | 0.29x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 946K | 847K | 0 | 0 | 142K | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 580K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Clinical trial funding shortfall
As reported in financial statements, Equillium's operating cash flow frequently diverges from net income, with the OCF/NI ratio reaching an extreme 1093.86 in 2024Q3, highlighting that net income is a poor proxy for the company's actual cash consumption during its intensive clinical development phase.
The significant volatility in the relationship between net income and operating cash flow suggests that non-cash items and working capital fluctuations are heavily distorting the reported bottom line. Investors should monitor this divergence closely, as it indicates that the company's cash burn is driven by operational realities that are not captured by standard accounting profit metrics.
Based on Equillium's reported figures, the company consistently generates negative free cash flow, with quarterly outflows reaching as high as $8.8 million in 2024Q1, confirming a structural reliance on external financing to sustain its ongoing research and development initiatives without any offsetting commercial revenue streams.
The absence of positive free cash flow margins underscores the company's status as a pre-revenue entity where capital is consumed rather than generated. This trajectory appears unlikely to shift until the company achieves significant clinical milestones or secures a commercial partnership that provides sustainable, non-dilutive cash inflows.
According to recent SEC filings, Equillium's working capital changes are highly erratic, swinging from a $4.7 million inflow in 2024Q2 to a $4.5 million outflow in 2025Q3, which complicates the predictability of the company's short-term cash position and overall liquidity management.
These fluctuations suggest that the timing of clinical trial payments and milestone-related accruals creates significant noise in the cash flow statement. Such variability warrants further investigation into the company's accounts payable management, as the timing of these outflows may be used to artificially extend the cash runway during periods of limited financing access.
Financial data reveals that stock-based compensation remains a consistent feature of the company's expense profile, with quarterly charges often exceeding $1 million, which effectively masks the true cash cost of talent retention during a period of significant clinical trial execution and financial pressure.
While stock-based compensation is a non-cash expense, it represents a real economic cost to shareholders through dilution. The reliance on equity-based incentives suggests that management is attempting to preserve cash, yet this strategy may be reaching its limits as the company's valuation faces downward pressure from clinical risks.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying EQ stock.
Equillium, Inc. (EQ) generated $-22.7M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Equillium, Inc. (EQ) reported negative free cash flow of $22.8M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Equillium, Inc. (EQ) spent $0.0M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.