Free cash flow remains deeply negative at -5.1% of revenue in 2026Q1, reflecting a structural reliance on external financing despite a reduction in CapEx/Revenue to 2.5%.
| Cash from Operations | -15.32M | -23.72M | -114.43M | -165.63M | -268.95M | -213.83M | -44.31M | -39.12M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | -2.75% | -13.89% | -21.14% | -37.24% | -33.25% | -10.52% | -19.17% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 283.67% | 79.27% | 30.91% | 38.42% | -25.77% | -382.6% | -13.27% | - |
| Net Income | -152.38M | -152.77M | -202.27M | -416.87M | -392.57M | -212.39M | -60.36M | -35.63M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 52M | 48.57M | 49.86M | 51.7M | 48.31M | 27.22M | 13.12M | 8.09M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 9.46M | 0 | 13.6M | 21.45M | 35.47M | 23.63M | 1.01M | 1.92M |
| Deferred Taxes | 1.79M | 0 | 3.7M | -4.29M | -4.83M | -2.65M | 836.39K | 1.26M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 59.61M | 72.25M | 25.71M | 164.17M | 60.85M | 1.16M | 6.51M | 1.93M |
| Working Capital Changes | 14.16M | 8.22M | -5.03M | 18.22M | -16.19M | -50.79M | -5.42M | -16.69M |
| Change in Receivables | 10.67M | 14.4M | 14.79M | -2.51M | 6.99M | -79.28M | -38.68M | -29.12M |
| Change in Inventory | -15.52M | -6.18M | -3.46M | 30.6M | -55.02M | -58.61M | -10.3M | -20.19M |
| Change in Payables | 19.01M | 0 | -16.36M | -9.87M | 31.83M | 92.17M | 43.61M | 32.61M |
| Cash from Investing | -15.14M | -15.54M | -9.25M | -26.7M | 34.79M | -544.33M | -141.37M | -64.69M |
| Capital Expenditures | -12.15M | -12.4M | -39.14M | -66.09M | -201.66M | -281.6M | -134.28M | -53.57M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 1.36% | 1.44% | 4.75% | 8.44% | 27.92% | 43.78% | 31.87% | 26.25% |
| Acquisitions | 305.43K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -3.3M | -3.15M | 29.89M | 41.05M | 236.45M | -917.32K | -7.45M | -10.59M |
| Cash from Financing | 3.43M | 1.18M | -27.29M | 355M | 35.92M | 955.8M | 273.91M | 95.54M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -167.54M | -167.09M | -22.32M | 62.59M | 35.92M | -104.19M | 81.78M | 46.07M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 111.59K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.04B | 191.63M | 41.97M |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 170.86M | 168.28M | -4.96M | 292.4M | 0 | 22.66M | 491K | 7.51M |
| Net Change in Cash | -25.02M | -34.58M | -150.38M | 166.66M | -212.93M | 190.21M | 94.79M | -10.16M |
| Free Cash Flow | -28.16M | -36.12M | -155.62M | -234.67M | -475.11M | -495.43M | -186.04M | -95.68M |
| FCF Margin % | -3.15% | -4.19% | -18.89% | -29.96% | -65.78% | -77.03% | -44.15% | -46.89% |
| FCF Growth % | 78.48% | 76.79% | 33.68% | 50.61% | 4.1% | -166.3% | -94.44% | - |
| FCF per Share | -0.90 | -1.19 | -5.21 | -7.91 | -16.05 | -18.05 | -6.29 | -3.23 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.18x | 0.16x | 0.57x | 0.40x | 0.69x | 1.01x | 0.73x | 1.10x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Liquidity and capital runway
As reported in financial statements, the persistent gap between net losses and operating cash flow suggests that Oatly's accounting earnings are heavily impacted by non-cash charges, with the OCF/NI ratio fluctuating wildly, reaching 0.43 in 2026Q1, which complicates the assessment of true operational cash generation.
The significant divergence between net income and operating cash flow indicates that depreciation and amortization remain the primary drivers of the non-cash adjustments. Investors should monitor whether this gap narrows as the company shifts toward an asset-light model, as current figures suggest that cash generation remains disconnected from the bottom-line performance.
Based on recent SEC filings, Oatly's free cash flow trajectory remains consistently negative, with FCF margins hovering at -5.1% in 2026Q1, reflecting a structural inability to fund operations through internal cash generation despite the ongoing strategic pivot toward a less capital-intensive manufacturing footprint.
The persistent negative FCF suggests that the company is still in a cash-consuming phase of its lifecycle, where capital expenditures, while reduced, continue to outpace the limited cash generated from operations. This trend warrants further investigation into how long the current cash reserves can sustain such outflows before requiring external financing.
According to the provided quarterly data, capital intensity has significantly declined, with the CapEx/Revenue ratio dropping to 2.5% in 2026Q1 from a peak of 8.1% in 2023Q4, signaling a clear strategic retreat from the heavy, self-owned manufacturing investments that previously pressured the company's liquidity position.
The reduction in capital spending appears to be a direct consequence of the transition to an asset-light model, which may alleviate some pressure on the balance sheet. However, analysts should remain cautious, as this shift may introduce new variable costs that could offset the benefits of lower maintenance capital requirements.
As indicated by the quarterly cash flow data, working capital changes have been highly erratic, swinging from a $19.1M outflow in 2024Q1 to a $12.4M inflow in 2025Q2, which suggests that inventory management and collection cycles remain unstable as the company navigates its global distribution strategy.
The inconsistency in working capital movements may indicate challenges in balancing inventory levels with fluctuating demand across different geographic segments. Investors should monitor these swings closely, as they can significantly impact short-term liquidity and obscure the underlying efficiency of the company's core beverage operations.
Based on reported figures, stock-based compensation consistently adds back millions to the cash flow statement each quarter, with $2.9M recorded in 2026Q1, effectively masking the true extent of the cash burn by inflating the operating cash flow figures relative to the company's actual cash position.
While SBC is a standard non-cash expense, its consistent presence in the cash flow reconciliation suggests that the company relies on equity-based incentives to manage its cost structure. This practice warrants further investigation, as it may dilute shareholders while failing to address the fundamental issue of negative operating cash flow.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying OTLY stock.
Oatly Group AB (OTLY) generated $-23.7M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Oatly Group AB (OTLY) reported negative free cash flow of $36.1M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Oatly Group AB (OTLY) spent $12.4M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.