Free cash flow margins reached 2.1% in 2026Q1, though capital intensity remains a concern as CapEx spiked to 14.3% of revenue during the same period.
| Cash from Operations | 105.52M | 94.44M | 16.41M | 362K | -69.63M | -38.48M | -19.92M | -31.3M | -16.98M | -25.86M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 15.13% | 3.02% | 0.07% | -16.09% | -10.86% | -6.85% | -15.62% | -11.75% | -24.65% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 1493.47% | 475.67% | 4432.04% | 100.52% | -80.95% | -93.22% | 36.38% | -84.3% | 34.32% | - |
| Net Income | -103.05M | -121.68M | -158.06M | -133.09M | -190.77M | -222.7M | -95.93M | -51.55M | -30.93M | -32.45M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 76.71M | 77.85M | 73.64M | 72.03M | 64.31M | 50.04M | 25.06M | 16.55M | 13.4M | 9.64M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 91.74M | 117.32M | 107.93M | 136.3M | 145.8M | 140.49M | 64.43M | 12.14M | 4.08M | 2.81M |
| Deferred Taxes | -3.32M | 1.43M | 1.79M | -900K | 0 | 0 | -12.95M | 2.51M | 1M | 1.21M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 72.84M | 42.41M | 45.21M | -4.12M | -4.69M | 34.66M | 27.81M | 6.69M | -694K | 408K |
| Working Capital Changes | -29.41M | -22.89M | -54.11M | -69.86M | -84.28M | -40.98M | -28.33M | -17.65M | -3.84M | -7.48M |
| Change in Receivables | -15.76M | -6.22M | 676K | -32.95M | -27.36M | -14.56M | -9.26M | -12.77M | -6.23M | -6.04M |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.48M | 2.76M | -2.45M |
| Change in Payables | 8.73M | 4.49M | 611K | 382K | -4.72M | 146K | 4.06M | 2.39M | -372K | 1.11M |
| Cash from Investing | -61.1M | -213.03M | 178.9M | 294.94M | 235.75M | -794.51M | -275.02M | -87.68M | -47.02M | -15.78M |
| Capital Expenditures | -50.85M | -28.69M | -790K | -10.98M | -62.17M | -34.82M | -29.57M | -20.1M | -19.66M | -13.25M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 7.79% | 4.6% | 0.15% | 2.17% | 14.37% | 9.83% | 10.17% | 10.03% | 13.6% | 12.63% |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | -3.77M | 0 | -25.9M | -1.17M | -200.99M | 5.49M | 0 | 1.15M |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -12.85M | -17.61M | -32.63M | -21.24M | -17.65M | -14.98M | -7.37M | -5.49M | 87K | -1.15M |
| Cash from Financing | -23.34M | 12.76M | -17.1M | -331.38M | -189.15M | 936.55M | 272.74M | 168.15M | 69.64M | 55.41M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 140.79M | 177.67M | -14.96M | -27.18M | -22.53M | 917.21M | -26.07M | -30.24M | 27.41M | 4.93M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 8.83M | 8.05M | 7.36M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 274.9M | 192.51M | 39.99M | 50M |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -13K | 0 |
| Other Financing | -172.96M | -172.96M | -9.5M | -304.2M | -166.62M | 19.34M | 23.92M | 5.88M | 2.24M | 479K |
| Net Change in Cash | 21.19M | -105.61M | 178.1M | -35.47M | -23.42M | 103.08M | -22.35M | 49.27M | 5.65M | 13.73M |
| Free Cash Flow | 54.73M | 65.75M | -20.81M | -31.91M | -149.95M | -88.87M | -57.43M | -51.4M | -36.64M | -39.11M |
| FCF Margin % | 8.39% | 10.54% | -3.83% | -6.31% | -34.65% | -25.08% | -19.74% | -25.64% | -25.35% | -37.28% |
| FCF Growth % | 503.26% | 415.98% | 34.78% | 78.72% | -68.73% | -54.75% | -11.72% | -40.28% | 6.31% | - |
| FCF per Share | 0.36 | 0.45 | -0.15 | -0.25 | -1.23 | -0.77 | -0.55 | -0.75 | -0.46 | -0.50 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -0.53x | -0.78x | -0.10x | -0.00x | 0.36x | 0.17x | 0.21x | 0.61x | 0.55x | 0.80x |
| Interest Paid | 5.72M | 0 | 527K | 1.57M | 2.66M | 1.94M | 1.59M | 5.42M | 1.83M | 996K |
| Taxes Paid | 654K | 0 | 809K | 331K | 250K | 267K | 1.22M | 361K | 55K | 166K |
Usage-based revenue volatility
As reported in recent financial statements, Fastly exhibits a persistent divergence between net losses and operating cash flow, with OCF/NI ratios frequently exceeding negative 1.0, suggesting that non-cash charges and working capital adjustments are the primary drivers of reported cash generation rather than core operational profitability.
The consistent gap between net income and operating cash flow indicates that the company's reported cash generation is heavily reliant on accounting add-backs rather than organic earnings power. Investors should monitor whether this reliance on non-cash adjustments persists as the company attempts to scale toward GAAP profitability.
Based on quarterly cash flow data, Fastly's free cash flow margin has shown a volatile but improving trend, reaching 2.1% in 2026Q1 from a low of negative 11.6% in 2023Q4, which suggests that management is beginning to exert better control over the relationship between revenue and capital expenditures.
The shift toward positive free cash flow in recent quarters appears to be a critical milestone, though the sustainability of this trend remains uncertain given the historical volatility of the company's usage-based revenue model. Continued monitoring of FCF margins is essential to determine if this improvement represents a structural shift or merely a temporary reduction in capital intensity.
According to historical cash flow filings, Fastly's capital expenditure as a percentage of revenue spiked to 14.3% in 2026Q1, a significant departure from the sub-2% levels observed throughout 2024, indicating a potential return to aggressive infrastructure investment to support future network capacity and edge computing requirements.
The recent increase in capital intensity suggests that the company may be entering a new phase of infrastructure build-out, which could pressure free cash flow in the near term. Analysts should evaluate whether these investments are yielding commensurate improvements in network utilization or if they represent a defensive move to maintain competitive performance standards.
As evidenced by quarterly cash flow statements, working capital changes have frequently acted as a drag on cash flow, with a notable $22.2 million outflow in 2025Q4, highlighting the inherent difficulty in managing cash cycles within a usage-based, high-growth technology infrastructure business model.
The erratic nature of working capital movements suggests that timing differences in customer collections and vendor payments remain a significant source of cash flow instability. This volatility warrants further investigation into the company's credit terms and the potential for future liquidity constraints if enterprise payment cycles lengthen.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying FSLY stock.
Fastly, Inc. (FSLY) generated $94.4M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Fastly, Inc. (FSLY) generated $65.8M 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.
Fastly, Inc. (FSLY) spent $28.7M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.