Free cash flow generation has weakened, with FCF margins declining from 10.3% in 2024Q3 to 4.1% in 2026Q3, reflecting increased friction in working capital management and acquisition-related costs.
| Metric | TTM | Jun'25 | Jun'24 | Jun'23 | Jun'22 | Jun'21 | Jun'20 | Jun'19 | Jun'18 | Jun'17 | Jun'16 | Jun'15 | Jun'14 | Jun'13 | Jun'12 | Jun'11 | Jun'10 | Jun'09 | Jun'08 | Jun'07 | Jun'06 | Jun'05 | Jun'04 | Jun'03 | Jun'02 | Jun'01 | Jun'00 | Jun'99 | Jun'98 | Jun'97 | Jun'96 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 42.09M | 38.12M | 43.39M | 49.59M | -3.86M | 28.01M | 29.71M | 11.49M | 11.5M | 21.03M | 17.79M | 20.93M | 11.56M | 8.85M | 24.36M | -3.81M | 16.73M | 16.49M | 12.66M | 36.96M | 21.63M | 27.48M | 12.11M | 13.22M | 27.25M | -2.75M | 19.8M | 21.9M | 14.3M | 11.5M | 400K |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 6.65% | 9.24% | 9.98% | -0.85% | 8.87% | 9.72% | 3.49% | 3.36% | 6.35% | 5.52% | 6.8% | 3.86% | 3.15% | 9.08% | -1.3% | 6.58% | 7.05% | 4.15% | 10.95% | 7.71% | 9.73% | 5.02% | 6.2% | 10.51% | -1.18% | 8.4% | 9.61% | 7.56% | 7.95% | 0.26% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 44.6% | -12.15% | -12.5% | 1383.67% | -113.79% | -5.73% | 158.57% | -0.08% | -45.32% | 18.26% | -15.03% | 81.07% | 30.61% | -63.67% | 740.04% | -122.75% | 1.47% | 30.22% | -65.75% | 70.92% | -21.3% | 126.86% | -8.35% | -51.48% | 1090.37% | -113.9% | -9.61% | 53.15% | 24.35% | 2775% | -77.78% |
| Net Income | 17.79M | 24.38M | 24.98M | 25.76M | 15.03M | 5.87M | 9.59M | -16.34M | -19.54M | 3M | 9.48M | 5.15M | 930K | -123K | 3.22M | 10.83M | 1.42M | -13.41M | -13.72M | 20.79M | 14.44M | 14.64M | 8.69M | -10.75M | 14.19M | 9.88M | 17.28M | 17.1M | 12.6M | 8.9M | 6.8M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 13.38M | 12.57M | 10M | 9.66M | 10.12M | 8.11M | 8.65M | 10.22M | 10.22M | 8.26M | 6.68M | 6.33M | 6.23M | 7.2M | 7.8M | 7.88M | 7.85M | 7.75M | 8.79M | 9M | 6.77M | 6.97M | 5.92M | 5.7M | 6.1M | 5.56M | 5.51M | 4.8M | 4.4M | 3M | 2.4M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 2.74M | 4.94M | 4.01M | 3.84M | 3.29M | 1.98M | 599K | 981K | 3.01M | 3.05M | 2.9M | 1.24M | 1M | 169K | 48K | 892K | 2.68M | 1.23M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | -627K | -2.38M | -1.61M | -418K | -342K | -1.06M | 3.92M | -6.37M | -4.75M | -779K | -1.12M | -226K | 856K | 263K | 309K | 1M | -1.56M | 1M | -6.2M | 545K | 569K | -178K | 1.18M | -4.37M | 2.19M | 1.02M | -566K | -100K | -400K | -100K | -100K |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 3.1M | 2.8M | 1.43M | 4.92M | 6.33M | 3.78M | -5.28M | 25.14M | 31.47M | 2.9M | 2.52M | 1.37M | 2.6M | 5.65M | 2.62M | 844K | 818K | 14.19M | 34.88M | 1.43M | 1.32M | 224K | 301K | 24.79M | 263K | 190K | 353K | 600K | 300K | 100K | -200K |
| Working Capital Changes | -369K | -4.2M | 4.59M | 5.82M | -38.29M | 9.33M | 12.22M | -2.14M | -8.92M | 4.82M | -2.34M | 7.06M | -61K | -2.87M | 12.27M | -25.25M | 5.52M | 5.73M | -11.08M | 5.2M | -1.48M | 5.83M | -3.98M | -2.16M | 4.51M | -19.4M | -2.78M | -400K | -2.6M | -400K | -8.5M |
| Change in Receivables | 1.33M | -18.9M | 10.31M | -1.99M | -20.08M | -9.05M | 14.45M | 976K | -2.95M | 4.17M | -3.27M | 184K | 2.69M | -3.06M | 1.77M | -10.8M | -1.28M | 9.23M | 15.66M | -4.58M | 268K | -4.18M | -5.23M | 4.96M | 9.34M | -12.11M | 4.21M | -4.1M | -5.3M | -100K | -5.6M |
| Change in Inventory | -9.06M | -5.25M | 6.31M | 8.21M | -17.59M | -11.98M | 2.25M | -326K | -3.59M | 535K | -2.78M | 1K | -4.78M | -1.75M | 8.89M | -10.49M | 2.83M | 10.54M | -746K | -4.41M | -1.96M | 8.22M | -7.35M | -1.48M | -3.77M | -5.45M | -32K | 2.3M | -1.6M | -600K | -1.1M |
| Change in Payables | 8.2M | 16.31M | -4.12M | -5.58M | 1.78M | 14.44M | -3.88M | 684K | -1.88M | 2.28M | -1.13M | 910K | 1.23M | 917K | 1.72M | -2.98M | 2.49M | -6.2M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -337.47M | -27.97M | -55.25M | -3.2M | -1.57M | -92.96M | 17.41M | -2.59M | -1.87M | -98.61M | -10.14M | -2.25M | -4.99M | -7.53M | -6.41M | -4.68M | -6.3M | -2.99M | 4.28M | -10.26M | -25.68M | -3.48M | -4.7M | -5.43M | -18.44M | -35.5M | -8.97M | -13.1M | -4.8M | -18.2M | -3.4M |
| Capital Expenditures | -4.31M | -3.46M | -5.39M | -3.21M | -2.12M | -2.23M | -2.74M | -2.62M | -3.41M | -6.63M | -10.21M | -4.75M | -5.25M | -7.57M | -3.44M | -4.73M | -6.15M | -2.99M | -3.72M | -5.96M | -3.75M | -3.63M | -4.71M | -5.45M | -16.85M | -6.49M | -8.98M | -13.1M | -4.8M | -2.6M | -3.4M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 0.71% | 0.6% | 1.15% | 0.65% | 0.47% | 0.71% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1% | 2% | 3.17% | 1.54% | 1.75% | 2.7% | 1.28% | 1.61% | 2.42% | 1.28% | 1.22% | 1.77% | 1.34% | 1.29% | 1.95% | 2.56% | 6.5% | 2.78% | 3.81% | 5.75% | 2.54% | 1.8% | 2.23% |
| Acquisitions | -333.16M | -24.55M | -49.9M | 0 | 500K | -90.72M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -95.08M | 0 | 1.49M | 0 | 0 | -2.97M | 0 | -675K | 0 | 0 | -141K | -22.04M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.6M | -29.16M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 0 | 50K | 35K | 5K | 49K | 0 | 20.15M | 32K | 1.54M | 3.1M | 68K | 1.01M | 255K | 38K | 3K | 55K | 521K | 2K | 5K | 0 | 116K | 150K | 7K | 21K | 7K | 155K | 3K | 0 | 0 | -15.6M | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | 301.09M | -11.43M | 14.31M | -47.15M | 5.63M | 63.58M | -44.4M | -11.12M | -9.49M | 46.79M | -216K | -1.28M | -5.5M | -8.62M | -6.75M | -4.88M | -6.99M | -6.5M | -12.68M | -27.3M | 166K | -17M | -7.45M | -7.91M | -8.79M | 16.63M | -2.74M | -4.2M | -2.8M | -1.8M | 12M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 205.56M | -6.01M | 18.7M | -44.68M | 11.18M | 67.94M | -39.58M | -5.82M | -4.34M | 49.5M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.1M | -33K | -2.24M | 0 | 0 | -16.59M | 9.42M | -11.55M | -2.53M | -3.97M | -6.49M | 20.09M | -579K | -800K | -400K | -200K | -6.5M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 360K | 1.06M | 1.79M | 3.86M | 26K | 987K | 0 | -114K | -107K | -494K | -363K | 770K | -124K | -150K | -141K | -96K | 52K | -29K | 899K | 245K | 1.93M | 1.36M | 289K | -152K | 1.42M | 516K | 1.79M | 1.1M | 500K | 300K | 20.2M |
| Dividends Paid | -6.13M | -5.97M | -5.74M | -5.44M | -5.32M | -5.29M | -5.28M | -5.18M | -5.15M | -5.05M | -4.21M | -2.9M | -5.78M | -8.65M | -5.53M | -4.81M | -4.81M | -6.47M | -13.58M | -10.95M | -11.18M | -6.8M | -5.21M | -3.78M | -3.72M | -3.99M | -3.95M | -3.2M | -2.8M | -2.1M | -1.7M |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -114K | -107K | -494K | -363K | -205K | -188K | -175K | -154K | -118K | -111K | -188K | -262K | -307K | -373K | 0 | -211K | -243K | -256K | -305K | -349K | -200K | -200K | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 101.3M | -509K | -447K | -896K | -250K | -60K | 460K | 0 | 106K | 2.61M | 4.02M | 850K | 399K | 175K | 14K | 59K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -100K | 200K | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | 6.03M | -653K | 2.28M | -634K | 180K | -1.24M | 2.55M | -2.21M | 139K | -30.8M | 7.43M | 17.4M | 1.06M | -7.31M | 11.2M | -13.36M | 3.43M | 6.99M | 4.26M | -591K | -3.89M | 7M | -34K | -118K | 17K | -21.63M | 8.09M | 4.6M | 6.7M | -8.5M | 9M |
| Free Cash Flow | 35.45M | 34.65M | 38M | 46.38M | -5.99M | 25.78M | 26.97M | 8.87M | 8.09M | 14.4M | 7.57M | 16.18M | 6.31M | 1.28M | 20.92M | -8.54M | 10.58M | 13.49M | 8.94M | 31M | 17.87M | 23.85M | 7.41M | 7.77M | 10.4M | -9.24M | 10.82M | 8.8M | 9.5M | 8.9M | -3M |
| FCF Margin % | 5.86% | 6.04% | 8.09% | 9.33% | -1.31% | 8.17% | 8.83% | 2.7% | 2.37% | 4.35% | 2.35% | 5.25% | 2.11% | 0.46% | 7.8% | -2.91% | 4.16% | 5.77% | 2.93% | 9.19% | 6.37% | 8.45% | 3.07% | 3.64% | 4.01% | -3.95% | 4.59% | 3.86% | 5.02% | 6.15% | -1.96% |
| FCF Growth % | 2.31% | -8.82% | -18.06% | 874.94% | -123.22% | -4.44% | 203.99% | 9.62% | -43.79% | 90.11% | -53.18% | 156.19% | 393.67% | -93.89% | 345.1% | -180.7% | -21.59% | 50.97% | -71.17% | 73.47% | -25.07% | 222.06% | -4.64% | -25.32% | 212.51% | -185.44% | 22.93% | -7.37% | 6.74% | 396.67% | 9.09% |
| FCF per Share | 1.09 | 1.12 | 1.26 | 1.58 | -0.21 | 0.94 | 1.02 | 0.34 | 0.31 | 0.55 | 0.30 | 0.66 | 0.26 | 0.05 | 0.86 | -0.35 | 0.44 | 0.62 | 0.41 | 1.41 | 0.88 | 1.19 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.52 | -0.47 | 0.56 | 0.47 | 0.52 | 0.52 | -0.19 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 1.99x | 1.56x | 1.74x | 1.92x | -0.26x | 4.77x | 3.10x | -0.70x | -0.59x | 7.01x | 1.88x | 4.06x | 12.43x | -71.95x | 7.56x | -0.35x | 11.75x | -1.23x | -0.92x | 1.78x | 1.50x | 1.88x | 1.39x | -1.23x | 1.92x | -0.28x | 1.15x | 1.28x | 1.13x | 1.29x | 0.06x |
| Interest Paid | 2.02M | 2.83M | 1.91M | 3.1M | 1.67M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 529K | 50K | 48K | 76K | 76K | 132K | 138K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 912K | 5.76M | 9.57M | 9.56M | 4.96M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.62M | 5.08M | 1.08M | 978K | 3.4M | 1.02M | 6.37M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Working capital volatility
According to recent financial disclosures, the OCF/NI ratio for LYTS has exhibited extreme volatility, ranging from a low of 0.09 in 2026Q1 to a high of 3.94 in 2026Q2, highlighting a significant disconnect between reported accounting profits and actual cash generation capabilities.
The wide variance in the conversion ratio suggests that net income is an unreliable proxy for the company's underlying cash health. Investors should monitor whether this instability stems from aggressive revenue recognition timing or the inherent lumpiness of project-based billing cycles.
As reported in quarterly filings, LYTS's FCF margin has trended downward from 10.3% in 2024Q3 to 4.1% in 2026Q3, indicating that the company is struggling to convert its top-line revenue into meaningful free cash flow as operational costs and acquisition integration burdens mount.
The contraction in FCF margins appears to coincide with the company's recent acquisition activity and rising SG&A expenses. This trend warrants further investigation into whether the current business model can sustain historical cash flow levels without significant margin improvement.
Based on the provided cash flow statements, working capital changes have been highly erratic, swinging from a $13.5 million inflow in 2026Q2 to a $12.3 million outflow in 2026Q1, which suggests significant friction in managing inventory and accounts receivable across large-scale project rollouts.
Such sharp fluctuations in working capital often indicate difficulties in aligning cash collections with the timing of project milestones. This volatility may force the company to rely on its balance sheet to bridge liquidity gaps during periods of heavy inventory accumulation.
Data from recent filings shows that LYTS has prioritized inorganic growth, evidenced by a substantial $331.7 million net acquisition outflow in 2026Q3, which stands in stark contrast to the modest $1.6 million quarterly dividend payments maintained throughout the observed period.
The aggressive deployment of capital toward acquisitions suggests a strategic pivot that may be straining short-term liquidity. Investors should evaluate whether these investments will generate sufficient returns to offset the current pressure on free cash flow and the associated integration risks.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying LYTS stock.
LSI Industries Inc. (LYTS) generated $38.1M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
LSI Industries Inc. (LYTS) generated $34.7M 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.
LSI Industries Inc. (LYTS) spent $3.5M 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, LSI Industries Inc. (LYTS) returned $6.0M to shareholders via cash dividends. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.