Free cash flow volatility is pronounced, evidenced by a swing from a $328.0 million inflow in 2024Q4 to a $18.0 million deficit in 2026Q1.
| 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 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 | Dec'98 | Dec'97 | Dec'96 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 158M | 289M | 751M | 648M | 829M | 300M | 652M | 385M | 323.32M | 180.01M | 206.63M | 105.61M | 134.22M | 60.24M | 89.37M | 38.17M | 38.13M | 18.9M | 73.67M | 28.36M | 79.86M | 50.48M | 102.74M | 62.32M | 27.17M | 20.47M | 22.76M | 20.8M | 20.1M | 9.7M | 12.1M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 9.34% | 20.61% | 19.75% | 22.55% | 12.43% | 27.38% | 18.14% | 29.82% | 20.39% | 25.43% | 17.68% | 26.41% | 17.4% | 22.08% | 12.43% | 11.02% | 6.99% | 22.52% | 9.23% | 24.04% | 19.3% | 29.64% | 21.1% | 13.68% | 13.09% | 13.3% | 14.44% | 15.59% | 9.37% | 15.26% |
| Operating CF Growth % | -191.87% | -61.52% | 15.9% | -21.83% | 176.33% | -53.99% | 69.35% | 19.08% | 79.61% | -12.88% | 95.65% | -21.31% | 122.81% | -32.6% | 134.12% | 0.12% | 101.69% | -74.34% | 159.78% | -64.49% | 58.19% | -50.86% | 64.86% | 129.33% | 32.73% | -10.07% | 9.45% | 3.48% | 107.22% | -19.83% | 59.21% |
| Net Income | -96M | -85M | 375M | -76M | 455M | 90M | 410M | 179M | 210.8M | 261.95M | 62.27M | 39.3M | 48.06M | 18.29M | 28.13M | 9.04M | 23.16M | -23.05M | -202.02M | -23.15M | 11.71M | 3.36M | 44.28M | 14.02M | -27.89M | -13.32M | -6.21M | -6.3M | 41.7M | -1.4M | 5.7M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 266M | 237M | 297M | 376M | 384M | 259M | 239M | 234M | 95.87M | 98.08M | 81.52M | 63.65M | 51.42M | 35.8M | 34.29M | 39.79M | 46.52M | 48.3M | 51.42M | 56.79M | 54.12M | 40.8M | 38.11M | 40.72M | 24M | 37.88M | 38.05M | 31M | 23.5M | 19.1M | 10.9M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 15M | 22M | 22M | 30M | 31M | 22M | 22M | 20M | 6.66M | 8.3M | 5.13M | 4.04M | 5.04M | 2M | 904K | -938K | -758K | 0 | 0 | -300K | 1.32M | 2.41M | 3.08M | 561K | 3.45M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | -40M | -56M | -9M | -91M | -20M | -22M | 75M | 55M | 22.93M | -77.33M | 41.39M | 25.77M | 30.94M | 13.16M | 19.23M | 5.08M | 13.91M | -11.22M | -110.99M | -13.82M | 8.98M | 5.72M | 25.47M | 16.2M | 1.2M | -6.15M | -2.45M | -2.7M | 26.8M | 1.3M | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 53M | 80M | -114M | 84M | -18M | 1M | -33M | -79M | -37.06M | -91.73M | 15.82M | -14.73M | -8.05M | -5.93M | 2.15M | -12.53M | -31.71M | 5.12M | -11.94M | 5.97M | -10.96M | -720K | -11.93M | -7.77M | 30.82M | -3.08M | -5.56M | 100K | -74.3M | -100K | -9.6M |
| Working Capital Changes | -40M | 91M | 180M | 325M | -3M | -50M | -61M | -24M | 24.11M | -19.26M | 508K | -12.42M | 6.82M | -3.09M | 4.67M | -2.27M | -13M | -2.7M | 8.22M | 2.87M | 14.69M | -1.09M | 3.72M | -1.43M | -4.41M | 5.14M | -1.06M | 3.4M | 2.4M | -5.9M | 5.1M |
| Change in Receivables | 11M | 132M | 13M | 334M | -30M | -70M | -35M | 22M | -12.36M | -23.74M | -6.11M | -14.79M | -17.44M | -7.39M | -389K | 2.4M | -7.31M | -2.48M | 8.38M | -2.09M | 397K | -2.18M | -1.75M | -628K | -1.73M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31.58M | 4.97M | 4.1M | 2.95M | 11.85M | -2.21M | 6.74M | -518K | -4.28M | 4.48M | -4.04M | 3.31M | -1.49M | 169K | 420K | -343K | -415K | 708.95K | -139.44K | 0 | -300K | -100K | 300K |
| Change in Payables | -20M | -10M | 52M | -32M | -5M | 22M | -1M | -1M | 563K | 2.12M | 518K | -141K | 2.2M | 133K | 274K | -3.67M | -438K | -4.24M | 2.16M | 2.08M | 1.09M | 1.36M | 893K | -3.66M | 890K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -125M | -63M | -28M | -291M | -503M | -3.53B | -211M | -2.66B | -47.38M | -349.8M | -479.33M | -206.38M | -501.89M | -60.53M | -23.31M | -21.87M | -19.51M | -17.53M | -16.34M | -25.66M | -129.31M | -245.93M | -37.55M | -33M | -400.94M | -189.81M | -8.28M | -126.8M | -55.3M | -57.5M | -214.4M |
| Capital Expenditures | -112M | -108M | -143M | -348M | -436M | -207M | -110M | -110M | -69.97M | -34.52M | -43.6M | -24.22M | -32.22M | -24.05M | -24.52M | -24.27M | -19.39M | -17.76M | -16.29M | -24.83M | -41.14M | -37.16M | -36.3M | -22.31M | -14.97M | -11.24M | -5.7M | -126.4M | -131.8M | -10.4M | -3.4M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 3.64% | 3.49% | 3.92% | 10.61% | 11.86% | 8.58% | 4.62% | 5.18% | 6.45% | 3.91% | 5.37% | 4.05% | 6.34% | 6.95% | 6.06% | 7.9% | 5.6% | 6.57% | 4.98% | 8.08% | 12.39% | 14.21% | 10.47% | 7.55% | 7.54% | 7.19% | 3.33% | 87.78% | 102.25% | 10.05% | 4.29% |
| Acquisitions | -67M | 0 | 13M | -14M | -74M | -3.34B | -139M | -2.58B | 7.91M | -406.29M | -438.71M | -185.13M | -461.19M | -36.62M | 0 | -587K | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.1M | -88.13M | -208.25M | -1.02M | -819K | -554.21M | -9.75M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 21M | 26M | -1M | 71M | 7M | 14M | 38M | 38M | 14.68M | 91.01M | 2.98M | 2.97M | -8.49M | 149K | 1.22M | 2.99M | -111K | 225K | -51K | 276K | -40K | -514K | -234K | -9.87M | 168.24M | -168.82M | -2.57M | -400K | 76.5M | -47.1M | -211M |
| Cash from Financing | 16M | 7M | -609M | -397M | -454M | 2.65B | 120M | 1.06B | 680.61M | 306.99M | 500.57M | 167.32M | 384.96M | 2.7M | -60.19M | -16.55M | -29.19M | -16.02M | -42.02M | 7.9M | 44.87M | 154.19M | -26.57M | -30.29M | 386.12M | 167.68M | -14.06M | 105.8M | 34.7M | 49.1M | 202.9M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 138M | 97M | -474M | -310M | -315M | 2.8B | 275M | 1.19B | 710M | 79M | 528.5M | 0 | 394.38M | 9.92M | -494K | 4.18M | 33.99M | -8.57M | -124.62M | 74M | 59.02M | 129.27M | -142K | -2.49M | 102.14M | 176.56M | -6.81M | 111M | 43.5M | 52.7M | 129.1M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 0 | 0 | -4M | 0 | -50M | -30M | -75M | -71M | -19.61M | 235M | -2M | 167.31M | 0 | 280K | -25.92M | -13.38M | -35.17M | 0 | 91.42M | -42.14M | -7.4M | -4.56M | -16.45M | -19.44M | 297.79M | 723.81K | -5.02M | -300K | -6.2M | -1.7M | 74.1M |
| Dividends Paid | -86M | -85M | -84M | -82M | -82M | -83M | -52M | -39M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -16.73M | -6.6M | -14.89M | 0 | -8.82M | -7.71M | -6.76M | -14.89M | -9.16M | -7.21M | -4.35M | -1.87M | -2.15M | -2.3M | -1.6M | -1.4M | -400K |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | -4M | 0 | -50M | -30M | -75M | -32M | -19.61M | -4M | -2M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -25.92M | -13.38M | -60.69M | 0 | -185K | -43.41M | -7.4M | -7M | -22.81M | -22.51M | -6K | 0 | -5.14M | -300K | -8.2M | -3.5M | -2.7M |
| Other Financing | -36M | -5M | -47M | -5M | -7M | -37M | -28M | -15M | -9.79M | -7.01M | -29.38M | 4K | -9.41M | -7.5M | -17.04M | -741K | -13.11M | -7.45M | 0 | -16.25M | 0 | 44.37M | -819K | -1.15M | -9.46M | -7.73M | -83.52K | -2.6M | -1M | -500K | 100K |
| Net Change in Cash | 49M | 233M | 114M | -40M | -128M | -584M | 561M | -1.21B | 956.54M | 137.21M | 227.87M | 66.55M | 17.29M | 2.41M | 5.88M | -241K | -10.57M | -14.65M | 15.31M | 10.6M | -4.57M | -41.25M | 38.62M | -968K | 12.36M | -1.66M | 427.39K | -100K | -500K | 1.3M | 600K |
| Free Cash Flow | 46M | 181M | 608M | 300M | 393M | 93M | 542M | 275M | 253.34M | 145.5M | 163.03M | 81.39M | 102M | 36.19M | 64.85M | 13.9M | 18.73M | 1.15M | 57.39M | 3.53M | 38.72M | 13.32M | 66.44M | 40.01M | 12.2M | 9.23M | 17.06M | -105.6M | -111.7M | -700K | 8.7M |
| FCF Margin % | 1.49% | 5.85% | 16.68% | 9.14% | 10.69% | 3.85% | 22.76% | 12.96% | 23.37% | 16.48% | 20.07% | 13.63% | 20.07% | 10.45% | 16.02% | 4.53% | 5.41% | 0.42% | 17.54% | 1.15% | 11.66% | 5.09% | 19.17% | 13.55% | 6.14% | 5.9% | 9.97% | -73.33% | -86.66% | -0.68% | 10.97% |
| FCF Growth % | -93.34% | -70.23% | 102.67% | -23.66% | 322.58% | -82.84% | 97.09% | 8.55% | 74.12% | -10.75% | 100.3% | -20.21% | 181.89% | -44.2% | 366.57% | -25.8% | 1533.04% | -98% | 1527.51% | -90.89% | 190.68% | -79.95% | 66.06% | 227.88% | 32.21% | -45.9% | 116.16% | 5.46% | -15857.14% | -108.05% | 102.33% |
| FCF per Share | 0.47 | 1.87 | 6.33 | 3.26 | 4.23 | 0.98 | 5.59 | 2.75 | 2.85 | 1.97 | 2.24 | 1.18 | 1.75 | 0.62 | 1.13 | 0.24 | 0.34 | 0.02 | 1.19 | 0.07 | 0.80 | 0.27 | 1.32 | 0.79 | 0.55 | 0.59 | 1.10 | -8.23 | -9.00 | -0.06 | 1.04 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -0.48x | -3.40x | 2.00x | -8.53x | 1.82x | 3.33x | 1.59x | 2.15x | 1.53x | 0.69x | 3.32x | 2.69x | 2.79x | 3.29x | 3.18x | 4.23x | 1.65x | -0.82x | -0.36x | -1.23x | 6.82x | 15.02x | 2.32x | 4.44x | -0.97x | -1.54x | -3.66x | -3.30x | 0.48x | -6.93x | 4.84x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cyclical Cash Flow Volatility
As reported in recent financial statements, Gray Media's operating cash flow frequently diverges from net income, with the OCF/NI ratio reaching extreme levels such as -14.67 in 2025Q1, suggesting that non-cash charges and accounting adjustments significantly obscure the underlying cash-generating capacity of the core broadcasting business.
The consistent gap between net losses and positive operating cash flow indicates that depreciation and amortization are the primary drivers of reported cash generation rather than operational efficiency. Investors should monitor whether this reliance on non-cash add-backs masks a structural decline in the company's ability to convert revenue into actual liquidity.
Based on historical cash flow data, Gray Media's free cash flow trajectory is highly erratic, swinging from a peak of $328.0M in 2024Q4 to a deficit of $18.0M in 2026Q1, reflecting the company's extreme sensitivity to the biennial political advertising cycle and ongoing capital expenditure requirements.
The inability to maintain positive free cash flow during off-election periods suggests that the business model may be structurally dependent on political windfalls to fund its operations and debt obligations. This volatility warrants further investigation into whether the company can sustain its current dividend and debt service levels during cyclical troughs.
According to quarterly cash flow filings, working capital changes have been a major source of volatility, with a $48.0M outflow in 2026Q1 following a $123.0M inflow in 2024Q4, indicating that the timing of collections and payments is highly susceptible to the company's cyclical revenue profile.
These sharp fluctuations in working capital suggest that the company's cash position is frequently tied up in receivables or inventory-like assets during non-political periods. Such instability may indicate that management faces challenges in optimizing cash conversion cycles when advertising demand softens.
As disclosed in recent financial reports, Gray Media has continued to prioritize dividend payments of approximately $21M to $22M per quarter despite reporting net losses, a strategy that appears increasingly difficult to reconcile with the company's deteriorating free cash flow and high debt-servicing requirements.
The persistence of dividend payouts during periods of negative free cash flow suggests a potential misalignment between capital allocation policy and operational reality. Investors should monitor whether this commitment to shareholders will eventually necessitate further debt issuance or a reduction in essential growth-related capital expenditures.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying GTN stock.
Gray Media, Inc. (GTN) generated $289.0M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Gray Media, Inc. (GTN) generated $181.0M 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.
Gray Media, Inc. (GTN) spent $108.0M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2025, Gray Media, Inc. (GTN) returned $85.0M to shareholders via cash dividends. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.