Free cash flow remains unsustainable with a -86.9% margin in 2026Q1, further exacerbated by a $5.6 million outflow in working capital that highlights the volatility of the licensing business model.
| 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 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | -28.17M | -34.41M | -27.61M | -21.69M | -14.78M | -10.68M | -8.78M | -8.8M | -10.49M | -9.68M | -2.33M | -180.5K | -1.93M | -557.8K | -2.13M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | -104.19% | -71.48% | -52.52% | -33.4% | -31.51% | -33.56% | -40.71% | -62.92% | -69.2% | -19.03% | -1.94% | -26.88% | -8.2% | -42.01% |
| Operating CF Growth % | -64.72% | -24.63% | -27.32% | -46.7% | -38.42% | -21.61% | 0.23% | 16.07% | -8.37% | -314.44% | -1193.63% | 90.63% | -245.21% | 73.76% | - |
| Net Income | -39.12M | -44.63M | -41.05M | -37.92M | -23.57M | -19.08M | -11.82M | -12.89M | -8.87M | -9.92M | -3.35M | -1.45M | -1.84M | -958.2K | -1.99M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 4.68M | 5.14M | 4.32M | 4.57M | 2.7M | 1.42M | 1.05M | 613.5K | 344K | 142.9K | 105.7K | 93.3K | 92K | 116.4K | 115.2K |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 706K | 9.21M | 0 | 13.98M | 0 | 7.96M | 2.47M | 1.75M | 1.32M | 514.5K | 154.1K | 1.2K | 95.6K | 5.7K | 36.7K |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37.3K | 96.4K | 0 | 0 | -20K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 9.6M | 1.99M | 9.88M | -6.13M | 9.3M | 664.6K | 373K | 76.9K | 74.7K | 101.3K | 81.5K | 109.1K | 77.9K | 60.4K | 32.6K |
| Working Capital Changes | -4.03M | -6.12M | -751K | 3.82M | -3.21M | -1.64M | -858.2K | 1.61M | -3.46M | -518.8K | 669.2K | 1.08M | -354.1K | 217.9K | -321.8K |
| Change in Receivables | 1.24M | 1.15M | 1.23M | 7.14M | -6.69M | -1.71M | -1.81M | 1.59M | -1.95M | -784.9K | -959.4K | -49.4K | -634.8K | -145.4K | -494.9K |
| Change in Inventory | -336K | 575K | 1.36M | -4.53M | -3.49M | -1.41M | -890.6K | -1.89M | -1.29M | -174.9K | -248.7K | -144.8K | -214.3K | -211.9K | 65.5K |
| Change in Payables | -1.77M | -3.72M | -1.88M | 3.25M | -149.7K | 2.09M | 391K | 1.05M | -689.1K | 849K | 1.24M | 618.2K | -68.4K | 367K | 268.6K |
| Cash from Investing | 19.06M | 25.93M | 6.93M | 54.98M | -24.82M | -195.01M | -16.58M | 454.5K | -3.83M | -609.7K | -218.8K | -94.5K | -147K | -49.5K | -11.5K |
| Capital Expenditures | -1.34M | -1.77M | -1.65M | -3.7M | -18.48M | -3.83M | -2.07M | -1.27M | -709.7K | -609.7K | -218.8K | -94.5K | -147K | -49.5K | -17.4K |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 4.14% | 5.35% | 4.27% | 8.96% | 41.75% | 11.31% | 7.92% | 5.88% | 4.26% | 4.36% | 1.78% | 1.02% | 2.05% | 0.73% | 0.34% |
| Acquisitions | 0 | -1.77M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.73M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9K | 0 | 4.6K | 0 | 1.73M | -3.12M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.9K |
| Cash from Financing | 278K | 656K | 2.06M | 2.14M | 2.89M | 234.72M | 28.9M | 12.31M | 226.8K | 23.9M | 11.87M | -722.1K | 4.72M | -46.3K | 1.37M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4.99M | -63.7K | -152.2K | -3.2K | -14.3K | -16.6K | -54.4K | 3.01M | -46.3K | 1.37M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 278K | 656K | 2.06M | 269K | 2.89M | 236.08M | 28.57M | 12.33M | 0 | 23.9M | 11.94M | 0 | 1.71M | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.87M | 0 | 3.63M | 401K | 132.7K | 230K | 16.2K | -50.7K | -667.7K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | -8.83M | -7.82M | -18.62M | 35.44M | -36.72M | 29.03M | 3.54M | 3.96M | -14.09M | 13.61M | 9.32M | -997.1K | 2.64M | -653.6K | -766.7K |
| Free Cash Flow | -29.5M | -36.18M | -29.26M | -25.39M | -33.26M | -14.51M | -10.85M | -10.07M | -11.2M | -10.29M | -2.55M | -275K | -2.07M | -607.3K | -2.14M |
| FCF Margin % | -91.38% | -109.54% | -75.75% | -61.49% | -75.15% | -42.82% | -41.48% | -46.59% | -67.18% | -73.56% | -20.81% | -2.96% | -28.93% | -8.92% | -42.36% |
| FCF Growth % | 10.47% | -23.64% | -15.26% | 23.67% | -129.16% | -33.72% | -7.75% | 10.03% | -8.85% | -302.8% | -828.65% | 86.73% | -241.28% | 71.66% | - |
| FCF per Share | -0.28 | -0.34 | -0.28 | -0.25 | -0.33 | -0.16 | -0.16 | -0.18 | -0.22 | -0.21 | -0.08 | -0.01 | -1.80 | -0.01 | -0.05 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.75x | 0.77x | 0.67x | 0.57x | 0.63x | 0.56x | 0.74x | 0.68x | 1.18x | 0.98x | 0.70x | 0.12x | 1.05x | 0.58x | 1.07x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 420.9K | 421.4K | 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 |
Unsustainable cash burn rate
According to quarterly cash flow statements, MaxCyte consistently reports negative operating cash flow that frequently exceeds net losses, as evidenced by the 1.72 OCF/NI ratio in 2026Q1, indicating that accounting losses are being compounded by actual cash outflows rather than mitigated by non-cash adjustments.
The persistent divergence between net income and operating cash flow suggests that the company's accrual-based accounting does not capture the full extent of its cash-burning operational model. Investors should monitor this relationship closely, as the inability to generate positive cash flow from operations despite high gross margins implies that overhead and R&D spending are structurally misaligned with current revenue generation.
As reported in financial filings, MaxCyte's free cash flow trajectory remains firmly in negative territory, with a -86.9% FCF margin recorded in 2026Q1, highlighting a persistent inability to fund its operational and capital requirements through internal revenue streams alone.
The consistent failure to achieve positive free cash flow suggests that the company's current business model is heavily reliant on external financing to sustain its clinical-stage ambitions. This trend warrants further investigation into whether the company can reach a cash-flow-positive inflection point before its existing liquidity reserves are exhausted.
Based on the provided cash flow data, working capital fluctuations have been a significant drag on liquidity, with a notable $5.6 million outflow in 2026Q1, reflecting the inherent instability of managing inventory and receivables within a lumpy, milestone-dependent licensing revenue structure.
The erratic nature of working capital changes suggests that the company struggles to synchronize its cash collections with the timing of its operational expenditures. This volatility creates additional pressure on the balance sheet, as the company must maintain sufficient cash buffers to absorb these unpredictable swings in its operating cycle.
As indicated by recent financial statements, MaxCyte maintains a disciplined approach to capital expenditure, with CapEx/Revenue ratios generally remaining below 7% over the last ten quarters, suggesting that the company's primary cash drain is operational expense rather than heavy investment in physical manufacturing assets.
The relatively low capital intensity implies that the company's business model is not inherently asset-heavy, which may provide some flexibility if management chooses to pivot toward a more cost-efficient operating structure. However, this does not offset the broader concern that the company's core operating expenses continue to outpace its ability to generate cash.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying MXCT stock.
MaxCyte, Inc. (MXCT) generated $-34.4M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
MaxCyte, Inc. (MXCT) reported negative free cash flow of $36.2M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
MaxCyte, Inc. (MXCT) spent $1.8M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.