Free cash flow remains positive at $15.8 million in 2026Q1, yet the reliance on non-cash adjustments is highlighted by stock-based compensation that consistently exceeds $10 million per quarter.
| Cash from Operations | 91M | 93.2M | 79.44M | 90.09M | 71.41M | 45.34M | 85.67M | 25.54M | 52.33M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 18.22% | 17.04% | 21.35% | 19.21% | 13.09% | 28.28% | 9.69% | 22.92% |
| Operating CF Growth % | -15.89% | 17.33% | -11.82% | 26.15% | 57.5% | -47.07% | 235.42% | -51.19% | - |
| Net Income | -10.48M | -17.03M | 30.96M | 23.41M | 16.71M | 113K | -7.16M | -2.51M | -13.69M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 45M | 44.06M | 25.73M | 20.07M | 24.44M | 33.77M | 56.45M | 54.14M | 56.02M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 34.92M | 46.59M | 45.35M | 43.57M | 36.53M | 29.43M | 21.05M | 8.66M | 1.8M |
| Deferred Taxes | -3.85M | -3.82M | -1.95M | 330K | -1.42M | -1.91M | -4.05M | -4.73M | -10.54M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 34.11M | 24.74M | 377K | 576K | 119K | 3.85M | 3.19M | 1.14M | 3.45M |
| Working Capital Changes | -8.7M | -1.33M | -21.02M | 2.13M | -4.96M | -19.91M | 16.18M | -31.16M | 15.29M |
| Change in Receivables | -2.67M | -436K | -21.84M | -7.23M | -4.13M | -11.57M | -3.69M | -5.29M | -4.94M |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19.32M |
| Change in Payables | 6.75M | 2.54M | -461K | 1.83M | -1.62M | -455K | 3.27M | -236K | 791K |
| Cash from Investing | -27.12M | -28.96M | -122.42M | -22.34M | -30.21M | -34.83M | -16.14M | -23.04M | -22.93M |
| Capital Expenditures | -19.09M | -18.14M | -17.57M | -13.78M | -12.83M | -30.66M | -11.92M | -5.79M | -9.92M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 3.62% | 3.55% | 3.77% | 3.27% | 3.45% | 8.85% | 3.94% | 2.2% | 4.35% |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | -98.69M | 0 | -9.2M | 0 | 0 | -14.82M | -13M |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -8.03M | -10.82M | -6.16M | -8.56M | -8.18M | -4.17M | -4.22M | -2.42M | -451K |
| Cash from Financing | -37.76M | -40.63M | -22.59M | -15.17M | -10.4M | -42.32M | -10.56M | -42.81M | 20.58M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 54.55M | 57.3M | -3.5M | -3.5M | -3.5M | -23.52M | -21.75M | -55.6M | 0 |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -27.8M | -27.68M | 0 | -11.98M | 0 | 216M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -216M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -30.04M | -30.04M | 0 | -11.98M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -64.51M | -70.24M | -19.09M | 303K | -6.9M | -18.8M | 11.19M | 12.79M | 20.58M |
| Net Change in Cash | 23.72M | 26.64M | -67.85M | 54.2M | 32.11M | -33.05M | 60.44M | -38.52M | 47.44M |
| Free Cash Flow | 74.46M | 75.06M | 55.71M | 67.75M | 50.4M | 10.51M | 69.53M | 17.32M | 42.4M |
| FCF Margin % | 14.13% | 14.68% | 11.95% | 16.06% | 13.56% | 3.03% | 22.96% | 6.57% | 18.57% |
| FCF Growth % | 4.51% | 34.74% | -17.77% | 34.42% | 379.66% | -84.89% | 301.3% | -59.14% | - |
| FCF per Share | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.30 | 0.36 | 0.28 | 0.06 | 0.22 | 0.05 | 0.13 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -7.10x | -5.47x | 2.57x | 3.85x | 4.27x | 401.25x | -11.97x | -10.17x | -3.82x |
| Interest Paid | 12.52M | 0 | 28.69M | 28.44M | 15.57M | 20.39M | 26.6M | 52.68M | 24.85M |
| Taxes Paid | 9.4M | 0 | 12.77M | 14.93M | 16.3M | 19.03M | 14.21M | 8.94M | 3.78M |
Competitive pressure from cloud-native
According to quarterly financial disclosures, N-able exhibits a persistent disconnect between GAAP net income and operating cash flow, with the latter consistently remaining positive even as net income frequently dips into negative territory, highlighting a reliance on non-cash adjustments to sustain the appearance of operational viability.
The significant gap between net income and operating cash flow suggests that non-cash charges, particularly stock-based compensation and depreciation, are the primary drivers of the company's cash position. Investors should monitor this divergence, as it implies that the underlying business model may be less profitable on a GAAP basis than the cash flow statement initially suggests.
As reported in recent financial statements, N-able has maintained a relatively stable free cash flow trajectory, with margins fluctuating between -0.8% and 24.0% over the last ten quarters, indicating that the company's subscription-based revenue model provides a consistent, albeit variable, source of liquidity for operations.
While free cash flow remains generally positive, the volatility in margins warrants further investigation into the timing of working capital shifts and capital expenditures. The ability to generate consistent cash despite negative net income suggests that the company's core subscription business is fundamentally cash-generative, provided that customer acquisition costs remain controlled.
Based on reported figures, N-able maintains a disciplined approach to capital expenditure, with CapEx as a percentage of revenue consistently hovering between 2.7% and 6.1%, which appears to support the company's scalable software delivery model without requiring excessive investment in physical infrastructure or hardware assets.
The relatively low capital intensity suggests that the company is not burdened by heavy maintenance requirements, allowing for a higher proportion of cash to be directed toward R&D or strategic initiatives. This lean capital structure may be a key advantage in defending its market position against more asset-heavy competitors.
Analysis of recent SEC filings indicates that N-able's working capital dynamics are subject to significant quarterly swings, with changes ranging from a $20.5 million outflow in 2024Q1 to a $8.2 million inflow in 2023Q4, suggesting that timing differences in collections and payables create periodic liquidity noise.
These fluctuations appear to be a standard feature of the company's billing cycles rather than a sign of structural inefficiency. However, investors should monitor whether these swings become more pronounced, as they could indicate potential challenges in managing cash conversion cycles as the company scales its security product attach rates.
As noted in financial statements, N-able's cash flow statement is heavily influenced by stock-based compensation, which has consistently exceeded $10 million per quarter, effectively masking the true economic cost of talent acquisition and potentially inflating the perceived cash-generative power of the company's core operations.
The reliance on stock-based compensation as a non-cash add-back suggests that the company's reported cash flow may overstate its ability to fund operations without diluting shareholders. This warrants further investigation into whether the company can achieve sustainable, cash-funded growth without continued reliance on equity-based incentives.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying NABL stock.
N-able, Inc. (NABL) generated $93.2M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
N-able, Inc. (NABL) generated $75.1M 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.
N-able, Inc. (NABL) spent $18.1M 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, N-able, Inc. (NABL) spent $30.0M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.