Free cash flow remains highly erratic, swinging from a 16.0% margin in 2025Q1 to a negative 15.7% in 2025Q4, reflecting significant working capital sensitivity to tax processing cycles.
| 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 | Jul'09 | Jul'08 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 124.9M | 138.56M | 81.38M | 97.52M | 277.69M | 167.03M | 209.18M | 189.91M | 251.05M | 218.31M | 114.52M | 156.72M | 69.22M | 122.51M | 90.01M | 94.05M | 83.5M | 35.3M | 35.01M |
| Operating CF Growth % | 178.26% | 70.25% | -16.55% | -64.88% | 66.25% | -20.15% | 10.14% | -24.35% | 15% | 90.64% | -26.93% | 126.42% | -43.5% | 36.1% | -4.29% | 12.63% | 136.57% | 0.83% | - |
| Net Income | -70.89M | -98.87M | -26.7M | 6.72M | 64.21M | 47.48M | 23.13M | 99.9M | 118.7M | 85.89M | 41.6M | 38.41M | 42.69M | 34.04M | 47.22M | 52.08M | 42.23M | 37.16M | 17.34M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 88.42M | 85.52M | 84.7M | 82.97M | 80.61M | 84.8M | 86.12M | 82.11M | 71.34M | 64.58M | 62.48M | 61.71M | 36.98M | 27.1M | 18.13M | 12.33M | 7.59M | 4.59M | 4.41M |
| Deferred Taxes | 368K | 368K | -10.36M | -11.87M | -6.67M | 2.72M | -15M | 6.88M | -234K | 2.78M | 1.27M | -406K | 463K | 5.46M | 7.22M | 251K | -704K | -1.73M | 40K |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 141.38M | 153.88M | 65.99M | 54.02M | 59.94M | 45.93M | 32.65M | 8.97M | 19.3M | 71.9M | 75.37M | 63.68M | 38.97M | 53.27M | 61.27M | 58.71M | 21.65M | 23.01M | 15.66M |
| Working Capital Changes | -50.07M | -21.05M | -62.18M | -68.07M | 44.79M | -65.31M | 28.59M | -37.52M | -8.15M | -47.57M | -94.53M | -36.21M | -79.15M | -20.79M | -64.81M | -56.19M | -7.88M | -30.21M | -3.68M |
| Cash from Investing | -953.67M | -450.53M | 81.4M | 33.16M | -820.19M | -1.37B | -785.83M | -153.85M | -114.97M | -223.93M | -72M | -175.72M | -187.35M | -53.4M | -198.54M | -50.44M | -3.21M | -19.4M | -5.16M |
| Purchase of Investments | -1.75B | -1.28B | -11.85M | 0 | -963.48M | -1.45B | -994.43M | -189.07M | -186.88M | -58.66M | -135.92M | -195.13M | -212.45M | -274.07M | -271.91M | -45.06M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sale/Maturity of Investments | 911.8M | 973.54M | 232.96M | 176.85M | 297.24M | 203.78M | 306.62M | 115.89M | 138.83M | 111.65M | 106.97M | 132.39M | 289.69M | 258.1M | 119.04M | 20.15M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net Investment Activity | -838.14M | -307.38M | 221.12M | 176.85M | -666.25M | -1.25B | -687.81M | -73.18M | -48.05M | 52.98M | -28.95M | -62.74M | 77.24M | -15.97M | -152.87M | -24.9M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | -35M | -35M | -35M | -35M | -35M | 0 | 0 | -141.5M | 0 | -65.21M | -226.96M | 0 | -20M | 5.08M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Investing | -37.81M | -143.16M | -30.43M | -32.75M | -34.62M | -29.24M | -3.99M | -2.46M | -5.89M | -91.27M | 220K | 72K | 1.71M | -1.69M | 14.78M | -7.55M | 10.25M | -13.04M | -43K |
| Cash from Financing | 702.3M | 141.28M | 743.15M | -264.02M | 36.71M | 1.03B | 1.01B | -65.13M | -50.96M | 192.19M | -75.68M | 66.49M | 419.15M | 57.92M | 179.68M | 14.32M | 30.91M | -28.62M | -3.26M |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.9M | -95.53M | 0 | 0 | -100M | 0 | -51.97M | -59.01M | -40.99M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stock Issued | 4.5M | 3.68M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net Stock Activity | 4.5M | 3.68M | 0 | -3.9M | -95.53M | 0 | 0 | -100M | 0 | -51.97M | -59.01M | -40.99M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Debt Issuance (Net) | 377K | 1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 0 | -1000K | -1000K | -1000K | -1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1000K |
| Other Financing | 198.43M | 123.36M | 754.65M | -286.12M | 97.23M | 1.03B | 1.04B | 59.88M | -28.46M | 284.73M | 5.84M | 126.14M | 269.15M | 57.92M | 179.45M | 14.32M | 30.91M | -1.85M | 1.68M |
| Net Change in Cash | -126.47M | -170.7M | 905.93M | -133.34M | -505.8M | -171.06M | 430.55M | -29.06M | 85.12M | 186.57M | -33.16M | 47.49M | 301.02M | 127.03M | 71.16M | 57.93M | 111.2M | -12.72M | 26.58M |
| Exchange Rate Effect | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash at Beginning | 1.42B | 1.59B | 686.5M | 819.85M | 1.33B | 1.5B | 1.07B | 1.1B | 1.01B | 732.68M | 777.92M | 724.64M | 423.62M | 296.59M | 225.43M | 167.5M | 56.3M | 39.28M | 12.71M |
| Cash at End | 1.65B | 1.42B | 1.59B | 686.5M | 819.85M | 1.33B | 1.5B | 1.07B | 1.1B | 919.24M | 744.76M | 772.13M | 724.64M | 423.62M | 296.59M | 225.43M | 167.5M | 26.56M | 39.28M |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 12.97M | 5.92M | 627K | 1.43M | 926K | 2.45M | 4.89M | 4.52M | 7.59M | 4.41M | 1.28M | 73K | 98K | 108K | 42K | 1K | 100K |
| Income Taxes Paid | 581K | 0 | 13.59M | 24.35M | 12.97M | 27.2M | 10.62M | 1.92M | 6.23M | 9.6M | 22.32M | 9.89M | 21.6M | 16.35M | 28.2M | 18.29M | 14.28M | 27.4M | 8.1M |
| Free Cash Flow | 47.17M | 66.02M | 7.1M | 21.58M | 193.36M | 109.6M | 150.14M | 111.7M | 190.02M | 174.17M | 71.24M | 108.88M | 29.88M | 86.77M | 49.57M | 70.97M | 70.04M | 28.94M | 29.89M |
| FCF Growth % | 117.2% | 830.34% | -67.11% | -88.84% | 76.42% | -27% | 34.42% | -41.22% | 9.1% | 144.47% | -34.57% | 264.41% | -65.56% | 75.03% | -30.16% | 1.33% | 142.07% | -3.18% | - |
Regulatory and margin compression
According to recent SEC filings, Green Dot's operating cash flow frequently decouples from net income, as evidenced by the 2025Q2 period where the company reported a $47.0M net loss while simultaneously generating $69.0M in operating cash flow, highlighting significant non-cash adjustments and working capital timing impacts.
The wide variance between net income and operating cash flow suggests that accounting earnings are heavily influenced by non-cash charges, likely related to platform migration and amortization. Investors should monitor whether this cash flow generation is sustainable or merely a byproduct of aggressive working capital management that may reverse in subsequent quarters.
As reported in financial statements, Green Dot's free cash flow trajectory remains highly erratic, swinging from a peak margin of 16.0% in 2025Q1 to a negative 15.7% in 2025Q4, which underscores the company's difficulty in maintaining consistent cash conversion during periods of seasonal revenue contraction.
The inability to maintain positive free cash flow across all quarters suggests that the business model is highly sensitive to seasonal tax-related inflows. This volatility warrants further investigation into whether the company can achieve structural cash flow self-sufficiency without relying on the cyclical nature of its money movement segment.
Based on reported figures, Green Dot has maintained a consistent capital expenditure profile, with quarterly spending averaging approximately $19M to $20M, representing a capital intensity ratio that peaked at 5.6% in 2023Q4 as the firm continues its multi-year technology stack modernization and infrastructure consolidation efforts.
The sustained level of capital expenditure suggests that the company is prioritizing long-term platform stability over immediate cash preservation. Analysts should evaluate whether these investments are successfully reducing long-term operating costs or if they represent a permanent increase in the capital intensity required to remain competitive in the BaaS space.
Data from recent filings indicates that working capital fluctuations are a primary driver of cash flow volatility, with a notable $62.6M outflow in 2025Q4 contrasting sharply with the $37.2M inflow observed in 2024Q1, reflecting the significant impact of seasonal tax processing cycles on liquidity.
These swings appear to be tied to the timing of tax-related deposits and the settlement of partner obligations. The reliance on these working capital shifts suggests that the company's cash position is vulnerable to any disruption in the timing of its core seasonal revenue streams.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying GDOT stock.
Green Dot Corporation (GDOT) generated $138.6M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Green Dot Corporation (GDOT) generated $66.0M 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.
Green Dot Corporation (GDOT) 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.