Free cash flow remains highly erratic, swinging from a negative $33.7 million in 2024Q1 to a peak of $129.5 million in 2025Q2, reflecting significant volatility in working capital management.
| Metric | TTM | 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 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 498.83M | 453.75M | 285.67M | 280.36M | 105.89M | 167.27M | 291.76M | 107.81M | 99.46M | 115.64M | 109M | 87.09M | 45.18M | 116.28M | 102.99M | 80.21M | 115.05M | 81.05M |
| Operating CF Growth % | 239.01% | 58.83% | 1.9% | 164.76% | -36.69% | -42.67% | 170.63% | 8.39% | -13.99% | 6.08% | 25.16% | 92.78% | -61.15% | 12.9% | 28.4% | -30.28% | 41.95% | - |
| Operating CF / Revenue % | 8.93% | 8.22% | 5.48% | 6.47% | 2.83% | 5.15% | 10.52% | 4.48% | 5.15% | 6.78% | 7.35% | 6.89% | 3.99% | 4.96% | 4.47% | 3.61% | 5.79% | 4.76% |
| Net Income | 162.83M | 147.59M | 187.77M | 102.23M | 145.01M | 156.13M | 109.59M | -227.63M | 90.28M | 76.67M | 54.24M | 38.2M | 26.19M | 41.64M | 40.93M | 101.74M | 47.9M | -7.28M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 189.85M | 188.45M | 165.27M | 127.93M | 110.14M | 98.97M | 98.38M | 79.56M | 52.77M | 42.05M | 36.97M | 28.98M | 26.47M | 75.35M | 53.5M | 50.93M | 47.89M | 46.38M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 13.17M | 0 | 25.31M | 21.39M | 18.96M | 15.76M | 11.63M | 0 | 5.77M | 4.13M | 2.74M | 2.16M | 1.72M | 4.17M | 3.17M | 2.33M | 2.76M | 2.65M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 9.27M | 62.43M | -40.77M | 53.59M | -594K | -22.85M | 679K | 252.8M | 5.84M | 5.66M | 737K | -8.72M | 1.78M | 1.43M | 1.89M | 11.09M | 119K | 27.42M |
| Working Capital Changes | 98.61M | 55.28M | -37.92M | -5.73M | -175.06M | -78.12M | 89.54M | 12.07M | -51.42M | -7.79M | 15.75M | 32.16M | -6.79M | 17.55M | 22.15M | -20.9M | 23.89M | 15.24M |
| Cash from Investing | -237.53M | -283.92M | -323.7M | -646.33M | -160.8M | -206.32M | -142.26M | -614.97M | -106.2M | -75.92M | -130.84M | -32.28M | -39.9M | -27.3M | -61.85M | -58.85M | -66.13M | -87.8M |
| Acquisitions (Net) | -106.6M | -143.47M | -212.25M | -547.18M | -51.99M | -147.44M | -98.56M | -566.83M | -59.44M | -39.57M | -90.85M | -12.34M | -16.69M | 11.72M | -19.15M | -22.98M | -34.71M | -59.08M |
| Purchase of Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -9.56M | -17.44M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -13.96M |
| Sale of Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.34M |
| Other Investing | -2.66M | -10.51M | 1.34M | -6.41M | -31.2M | -675K | -4.29M | -1.5M | -6.16M | -88K | -10.87M | -244K | -776K | -4.2M | 1.69M | 1.53M | 1.04M | 8.13M |
| Cash from Financing | -288.45M | -233.51M | 74.41M | 413.94M | 18.78M | 24.43M | -75.2M | 561.14M | 20.44M | -26.33M | 19.5M | -75.14M | -24.63M | -48.18M | -32.14M | -22.25M | -51.05M | 18.72M |
| Dividends Paid | -50.14M | -48.89M | -43.83M | -39.05M | -34.88M | -31.21M | -27.45M | -22.04M | -18.78M | -17.14M | -15.47M | -7.2M | -21.27M | -9.43M | -9.6M | -9.97M | -10.1M | -10.1M |
| Common Dividends | -50.14M | -48.89M | -43.83M | -39.05M | -34.88M | -31.21M | -27.45M | -22.04M | -18.78M | -17.14M | -15.47M | -7.2M | -21.27M | -8.49M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Debt Issuance (Net) | -4M | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -11.81M | -21.39M | 0 | 0 | -9M | -17.09M | -9.52M | -19.47M | 0 | -53.79M | -25.35M | -24.05M | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -65.92M | -33.01M | -40.89M | -28.08M | -38.3M | -27.81M | -18.47M | -38.41M | -14.07M | -9.52M | -4.9M | -10.31M | 34.81M | 22.74M | -24.56M | -62.19M | -42.7M | -14.38M |
| Net Change in Cash | -27.09M | -63.78M | 36.81M | 47.53M | -34.92M | -14.67M | 74.65M | 54.45M | 12.95M | 13.8M | -2.18M | -21.23M | -19.58M | 34.02M | 10.88M | -2.56M | 581K | 19.73M |
| Exchange Rate Effect | 61.5K | -98.2K | 429K | -447K | 1.2M | -47K | 340K | 462K | -754K | 414K | 162K | -905K | -226K | -6.78M | 1.89M | -1.67M | 2.71M | 7.76M |
| Cash at Beginning | 180.09M | 243.54M | 206.88M | 159.35M | 194.27M | 208.94M | 134.29M | 79.84M | 66.89M | 43.38M | 45.56M | 66.79M | 86.37M | 108.68M | 97.8M | 100.36M | 99.78M | 80.05M |
| Cash at End | 213.28M | 179.76M | 243.69M | 206.88M | 159.35M | 194.27M | 208.94M | 134.29M | 79.84M | 57.19M | 43.38M | 45.56M | 66.79M | 142.7M | 108.68M | 97.8M | 100.36M | 99.78M |
| Free Cash Flow | 370.57M | 323.81M | 172.88M | 187.63M | 28.28M | 109.06M | 252.35M | 61.18M | 58.86M | 79.38M | 79.88M | 67.4M | 22.74M | 81.45M | 58.6M | 42.81M | 82.59M | 56.81M |
| FCF Growth % | 69.09% | 87.31% | -7.86% | 563.36% | -74.07% | -56.78% | 312.47% | 3.93% | -25.84% | -0.63% | 18.53% | 196.4% | -72.08% | 39.01% | 36.86% | -48.16% | 45.37% | - |
| FCF / Revenue % | 6.63% | 5.87% | 3.31% | 4.33% | 0.76% | 3.36% | 9.1% | 2.54% | 3.05% | 4.65% | 5.39% | 5.33% | 2.01% | 3.48% | 2.54% | 1.92% | 4.16% | 3.34% |
Acquisition-driven cash flow volatility
According to reported financial statements, FirstService exhibits a highly erratic relationship between net income and operating cash flow, with the OCF/NI ratio swinging from a low of 2.21 in 2025Q3 to an extreme 14.72 in 2025Q1, indicating significant non-cash adjustments and earnings quality concerns.
The substantial gap between net income and operating cash flow suggests that reported earnings are heavily influenced by non-cash items, likely including depreciation and amortization related to the company's aggressive acquisition strategy. Investors should monitor whether this divergence reflects sustainable operational cash generation or merely accounting noise that obscures the true underlying profitability of the core residential management business.
As reported in quarterly filings, FirstService's free cash flow trajectory remains inconsistent, fluctuating from a negative $33.7 million in 2024Q1 to a peak of $129.5 million in 2025Q2, which complicates the assessment of the company's ability to self-fund its ongoing expansion and dividend obligations.
The lack of a stable FCF margin trend suggests that the company's cash generation is highly sensitive to the timing of working capital swings and acquisition-related integration costs. This volatility warrants further investigation into whether the business can maintain consistent cash flow growth without relying on external financing to bridge periodic shortfalls.
Based on the provided cash flow data, working capital changes have been a major source of volatility, ranging from a $64.3 million outflow in 2024Q1 to a $57.8 million inflow in 2023Q4, highlighting the operational challenges in managing cash cycles across diverse service segments.
These significant fluctuations in working capital suggest that the company's cash position is vulnerable to the timing of collections and payments within its restoration and property management businesses. Such variability may indicate that the company's cash flow is less predictable than the recurring nature of its management contracts would otherwise imply.
As indicated by recent financial disclosures, FirstService consistently prioritizes inorganic growth, with net acquisition spending reaching as high as $440.8 million in 2023Q4, while dividend payments remain relatively modest and stable at approximately $11 million to $12 million per quarter.
The heavy reliance on acquisitions to drive growth suggests that management is focused on scaling through consolidation rather than organic expansion alone. Investors should monitor whether the returns on these acquisitions are sufficient to justify the capital intensity, especially given the potential for integration risks to impact future cash flow stability.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying FSV stock.
FirstService Corporation (FSV) generated $453.7M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
FirstService Corporation (FSV) generated $323.8M 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.
FirstService Corporation (FSV) spent $129.9M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2025, FirstService Corporation (FSV) returned $48.9M to shareholders via cash dividends. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.