Cash conversion efficiency remains highly erratic, evidenced by an OCF/NI ratio of -7.88 in 2026Q1, which highlights a significant divergence between reported earnings and actual liquidity generation.
| 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 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 676.48M | 378.98M | 42M | 76M | 70.12M | 51.69M | 102.99M | 66.55M | -393.49M | -166.31M | 60.51M | -63.35M | -289.57M | -49.88M | -110.12M | -120.66M | 29.05M | -157.23M | -31.34M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 102.36% | 12.73% | 22.22% | 20.19% | 19.35% | 38.02% | 23.99% | -177.4% | -105.21% | 39.97% | -44.91% | -200.36% | -51.79% | -244.14% | -814.74% | 26.98% | -266.96% | -12246.33% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 3219.31% | 802.36% | -44.74% | 8.4% | 35.66% | -49.81% | 54.75% | 116.91% | -136.6% | -374.86% | 195.52% | 78.12% | -480.59% | 54.71% | 8.74% | -515.33% | 118.48% | -401.64% | - |
| Net Income | -57.85M | 16.97M | 113.44M | 135.34M | 74.73M | 201.4M | 58.47M | 112.56M | 72.35M | 109.4M | 111.68M | 32.95M | 45.58M | 61.92M | 31.78M | 0 | 63.79M | 125.68M | -1.18M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.09M | -50.91M | -40.16M | 35.27M | 43.86M | -7.99M | -9.93B | 23.1B | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 112K | -140K | -642K | 1.18M | 493K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 741.16M | 361.09M | -70.26M | -47.04M | 5.91M | -134.22M | 15.89M | -25.23M | 4.62M | 5.34M | 2.89M | 518K | -55.98M | -53.93M | 9.79B | -23.42B | -45.96M | -116.12M | 1.44M |
| Working Capital Changes | -7.39M | 915K | -1.18M | -12.3M | -10.53M | -15.49M | 28.62M | -20.78M | 43.2M | -17.06M | -8.49M | -12M | 542K | -49.88M | 0 | 199.13M | 11.22M | -166.79M | -31.6M |
| Change in Receivables | 6.79M | -457K | 1.66M | -7.99M | -5.26M | 6.68M | -5.47M | -1.71M | 1.82M | -13.02M | -4.98M | 6.95M | -9.12M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | 0 | 0 | 3.65M | 1.77M | -9.23M | -19.35M | 25.09M | -16.03M | 21.82M | 126K | -2.62M | 1.14M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | 0 | 0 | -26.23M | 256.8M | -36.92M | -68.01M | 197.65M | -777.02M | -506.33M | -228.3M | -7.38M | -125.44M | -356.44M | -109.14M | -247.39B | -349.59B | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Capital Expenditures | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 0% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Acquisitions | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Investments | 2.96M | 2.76B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 755.81M | 600.88M | 472.95M | 2.34B | 1.83B | 1.56B | 1.51B | 1.42B | 650.11M | 341.93M | 145.49M | 441.06M | 320.52M | 61.45M |
| Other Investing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | -711.1M | -378.74M | -31.36M | -333.96M | -19.69M | -4.53M | -270.25M | 709.38M | 408.22M | 155.32M | -44.68M | 70M | 313.02M | 49.88M | 110.12M | 120.66M | -22.42M | 161.15M | 31.53M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -108.55M | -51.95M | 67.69M | 20.83M | 39.8M | 12.22M | -278K | 277.78M | 0 | 81.48M | -2.95M | 79.42M | 0 | 0 | 133.43M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | -132.33M | -135.7M | -147.19M | -150.74M | -121.29M | -114.22M | -120.07M | -113.14M | -101.06M | -94.21M | -85.81M | -77.35M | -72.78M | -50.16M | -23.31M | -26.59B | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -108.55M | -51.95M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.95M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129.87M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -2.06M | -2.99M | -13.03M | -693K | -9.57M | 570K | 0 | 0 | -7.17M | -6.55M | 75.33M | -3.51M | 129.42M | 100.04M | 209.97B | 26.71B | 54.63M | 83.41M | 31.53M |
| Net Change in Cash | -34.37M | 398K | 10.23M | -1.1M | 13.11M | -20.89M | 30.39M | -1.09M | 14.73M | -10.99M | 15.83M | 6.66M | 23.45M | 2.23M | -2.57B | 4.57B | 6.63M | 3.92M | 189.47K |
| Free Cash Flow | 676.48M | 378.98M | 42M | 76M | 70.12M | 51.69M | 102.99M | 66.55M | -393.49M | -166.31M | 60.51M | -63.35M | -289.57M | -49.88M | -110.12M | -120.66M | 29.05M | -157.23M | -31.34M |
| FCF Margin % | 299.68% | 102.36% | 12.73% | 22.22% | 20.19% | 19.35% | 38.02% | 23.99% | -177.4% | -105.21% | 39.97% | -44.91% | -200.36% | -51.79% | -244.14% | -814.74% | 26.98% | -266.96% | -12246.33% |
| FCF Growth % | 959.36% | 802.36% | -44.74% | 8.4% | 35.66% | -49.81% | 54.75% | 116.91% | -136.6% | -374.86% | 195.52% | 78.12% | -480.59% | 54.71% | 8.74% | -515.33% | 118.48% | -401.64% | - |
| FCF per Share | 6.73 | 3.13 | 0.33 | 0.62 | 0.61 | 0.47 | 0.94 | 0.66 | -4.44 | -1.98 | 0.83 | -0.95 | -5.16 | -1.42 | -3.07 | -3.90 | 2.72 | -14.70 | -2.93 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -11.69x | 22.99x | 0.37x | 0.56x | 0.94x | 0.26x | 1.76x | 0.59x | -5.44x | -1.52x | 0.54x | -1.92x | -6.35x | -0.81x | -3.46x | - | 0.46x | -1.25x | 26.58x |
| Interest Paid | 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 |
Portfolio valuation volatility
As reported in financial statements, NMFC exhibits extreme divergence between net income and operating cash flow, with OCF/NI ratios swinging from -7.88 in 2026Q1 to 6.00 in 2025Q3, indicating that reported earnings are frequently decoupled from the actual cash-generating capacity of the underlying credit portfolio.
The massive fluctuations in the OCF/NI ratio suggest that non-cash valuation adjustments and unrealized marks are heavily distorting the bottom line. Investors should interpret these figures as a sign that net income is an unreliable proxy for the firm's ability to generate cash from its lending activities.
Based on recent SEC filings, NMFC's free cash flow trajectory is highly erratic, with margins oscillating between a negative 48.1% in 2024Q2 and a peak of 185.3% in 2025Q1, reflecting a lack of consistent cash flow generation relative to the firm's investment and dividend obligations.
This volatility in FCF margins suggests that the company's cash flow is highly sensitive to the timing of portfolio exits and interest collections. The inability to maintain a stable FCF margin may indicate that the firm's dividend policy is supported by volatile cash inflows rather than steady-state earnings.
According to quarterly data, working capital changes have been a significant source of cash flow variance, ranging from a $96.6 million inflow in 2024Q1 to a $56.3 million outflow in 2024Q2, which highlights the unpredictable nature of the firm's short-term liquidity and cash management cycles.
These large swings in working capital suggest that the firm's cash position is subject to significant timing differences in interest accruals and collections. Such volatility warrants further investigation into whether these movements are driven by borrower payment delays or structural shifts in the lending portfolio.
As indicated by historical cash flow data, NMFC has consistently paid dividends despite significant volatility in operating cash flow, with dividend payments totaling $31.1 million in 2026Q1 even as the firm navigated substantial swings in its underlying cash-generating ability and portfolio valuation marks.
The persistence of dividend payments during periods of negative operating cash flow suggests that the firm may be relying on balance sheet liquidity or capital recycling to maintain distributions. Investors should monitor whether this payout strategy remains sustainable if cash flow volatility persists at current levels.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying NMFC stock.
New Mountain Finance Corporation (NMFC) generated $379.0M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
New Mountain Finance Corporation (NMFC) generated $379.0M 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.
New Mountain Finance Corporation (NMFC) 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.
In 2025, New Mountain Finance Corporation (NMFC) returned $135.7M to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $52.0M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.