Free cash flow margin has oscillated between -43.5% and 73.8%, with the latest quarter showing free cash flow of -$28.0M, indicating that cash generation depends heavily on single-quarter receipts rather than an established run-rate.
PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) cash flow statement — 15-year operating, investing & financing cash flows
| 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 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 10.49M | 711.2M | -107.69M | -158.42M | -356.65M | -251.33M | -194.07M | -98.64M | -27.64M | -10.06M | -103.57M | -124.34M | -57.27M | -46.92M | -47.93M | -20.77M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 41.09% | -13.35% | -16.89% | -51.04% | -46.66% | -50.97% | -32.13% | -10.44% | -5.18% | -125.22% | -338.18% | -249.42% | -149.79% | -166.54% | -20.98% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 262.15% | 760.42% | 32.02% | 55.58% | -41.91% | -29.51% | -96.75% | -256.86% | -174.68% | 90.28% | 16.71% | -117.09% | -22.06% | 2.1% | -130.79% | - |
| Net Income | -105.97M | 682.64M | -363.3M | -626.6M | -559.02M | -523.9M | -438.16M | -251.58M | -128.08M | -79M | -142.11M | -170.45M | -93.75M | -51.57M | -26.24M | 30.9M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 61.01M | 38.81M | 75.66M | 236.59M | 128.84M | 64.13M | 43.49M | 32.18M | 26.09M | 17.68M | 3.29M | 2.88M | 2.23M | 2.4M | 2.7M | 2.87M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 89.06M | 74.55M | 74.61M | 131.21M | 110.33M | 103.51M | 70.33M | 42.13M | 33.25M | 30.56M | 35.01M | 33.98M | 19.31M | 8.43M | 2.29M | 2.82M |
| Deferred Taxes | -9K | -3K | -55.91M | -46.93M | -34.28M | 377K | 5.87M | 8.83M | -490K | 199K | -199K | 2.3M | -19.31M | 92.46K | -1.78M | -461.95K |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -10.18M | -36.93M | 58.7M | 151.32M | 82.81M | 128.33M | 87.49M | 49.37M | 27.38M | 7.27M | 9.41M | 2.25M | 21.05M | 6.05M | 225.73K | 416.61K |
| Working Capital Changes | -23.41M | -47.88M | 102.54M | -4M | -85.33M | -23.79M | 36.91M | 20.43M | 14.21M | 13.23M | -8.96M | 4.7M | 13.2M | -12.31M | -25.13M | -57.31M |
| Change in Receivables | -37.86M | -10.15M | 1.73M | -1.54M | -48.47M | -44.99M | -10.48M | 11.53M | -29.59M | -12.2M | -14.84M | -6.91M | -3.49M | 56K | 230K | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | -58.11M | -53.9M | 6.16M | -8.18M | -6.67M | 1.8M | 1.84M | -3.46M | -5.82M | -6.45M | 893K | -1.98M | -2.63M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | 10.69M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.54M | 23.41M | 53.59M | 13.75M | 43.11M | 24.01M | 4.26M | 16.98M | 16.91M | 5.18B | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -624.7M | -861.98M | 44.18M | -176.74M | 290.18M | 219.18M | -561.55M | -387.24M | -42.61M | 13.12M | 104.48M | -20.81M | -145.17M | -127.83M | -188.68K | 27.7M |
| Capital Expenditures | -8.42M | -8.86M | -6.5M | -28.44M | -152.46M | -85.33M | -55.98M | -45.44M | -15.53M | -3.1M | -1.78M | -2.72M | -4.66M | -845.73K | -188.68K | -165.12K |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 0.73% | 0.51% | 0.81% | 3.03% | 21.82% | 15.84% | 14.7% | 14.8% | 5.87% | 1.6% | 2.15% | 7.4% | 20.31% | 2.7% | 0.66% | 0.17% |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 128.44M | 57.12M | 38.13M | -4M | -48.89M | -77.16M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -43.39M | -291.08M | 110.31M | -92.18M | -128.44M | -57.12M | -38.13M | 0 | 13.38M | 16.22M | 106.26M | -18.09M | -140.5M | -126.98M | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | 447.55M | 331.09M | 255.87M | 646.4M | 167.95M | 20.88M | 668.72M | 613.21M | 131.57M | 44.22M | 968K | 154.06M | 237.13M | 187.44M | 22.41M | -7.18M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -74.76M | -1.61M | -1.49M | -301.38M | 148.72M | -2.22M | -46.16M | 267.6M | 0 | 40M | 0 | 150M | -49K | -5M | -6.94M | -7.19M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 90.65M | 99.05M | 0 | 0 | 50M | 23.1M | 28.09M | 323.76M | 117.92M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 235.98M | 192.44M | 29.36M | 5.89K |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 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 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 431.66M | 233.66M | 257.36M | 947.78M | -30.77M | 0 | 686.78M | 21.85M | 13.65M | 4.22M | 968K | 4.06M | 1.2M | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | -160.97M | 203.02M | 185.03M | 314.36M | 98.71M | -19.09M | -79.22M | 126.03M | 57.71M | 53.47M | 299K | 8.27M | 34.33M | 12.69M | -25.71M | -243.46K |
| Free Cash Flow | -37.96M | 411.18M | -181.94M | -279.04M | -509.11M | -336.66M | -250.05M | -144.08M | -43.17M | -13.16M | -105.34M | -127.06M | -61.94M | -47.77M | -48.12M | -20.93M |
| FCF Margin % | -3.28% | 23.76% | -22.55% | -29.75% | -72.86% | -62.51% | -65.67% | -46.93% | -16.31% | -6.77% | -127.37% | -345.58% | -269.73% | -152.49% | -167.19% | -21.15% |
| FCF Growth % | -108.51% | 326% | 34.8% | 45.19% | -51.22% | -34.64% | -73.55% | -233.74% | -227.95% | 87.5% | 17.09% | -105.14% | -29.66% | 0.72% | -129.87% | - |
| FCF per Share | -0.45 | 4.66 | -2.37 | -3.73 | -7.10 | -4.78 | -3.79 | -2.45 | -0.93 | -0.34 | -3.09 | -3.78 | -1.96 | -3.72 | -2.03 | -0.88 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.36x | 1.04x | 0.30x | 0.25x | 0.64x | 0.48x | 0.44x | 0.39x | 0.22x | 0.13x | 0.73x | 0.73x | 0.61x | 0.91x | 1.83x | -0.67x |
| Interest Paid | 3.02M | 5.7M | 5.82M | 36.13M | 18.46M | 9.59M | 9.8M | 7.69M | 7.77M | 6.27M | 4.51M | 0 | 0 | 367K | 1.21M | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | -3.27M | 36.85M | 17.55M | 14.15M | 4.92M | 7.71M | 26.4M | 2.11M | 1.58M | 1.1M | 943K | 111K | 0 | 2K | 2K | 0 |
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying PTCT stock.
PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) generated $711.2M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) generated $411.2M 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.
PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT) spent $8.9M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
Key Metrics
Top Statement Risk
Volatile operating cash flow swings
Metrics are mathematically derived from official filings.
Operating Cash Flow Diverges From Earnings
Based on reported quarterly figures, PTCT's operating cash flow ratio to net income swung from 21.02 in 2026Q1 to -4.17 in 2025Q3, indicating that reported earnings are a weak guide to actual cash generation over the ten-quarter window.
The gap between net income and operating cash flow is the dominant signal here, as the ratio flips sign and magnitude repeatedly rather than settling into a stable relationship. Quarters such as 2025Q1, where net income of $866.6M was matched by operating cash flow of $870.1M, appear to reflect a one-time recognition event rather than recurring cash generation. Investors should monitor whether the next several quarters show operating cash flow tracking net income, as the current pattern warrants further investigation into earnings quality.
Free Cash Flow Oscillates Around Breakeven
According to reported quarterly statements, PTCT's free cash flow margin ranged from -43.5% in 2025Q4 to 73.8% in 2025Q1, a spread that is driven almost entirely by single-quarter revenue events rather than an established cash trajectory.
Excluding the 2025Q1 outlier, free cash flow has been negative in most reported quarters, which suggests the underlying operating base does not yet self-fund its cost structure. The swing in working capital, including a $110.7M inflow in 2026Q2 that reversed to a $110.7M outflow in 2026Q1, appears to be a larger driver of quarterly free cash flow than operations themselves. This pattern may indicate that reported free cash flow is timing-dependent and should not be extrapolated.
Working Capital Swings Dominate Quarterly Cash
Based on PTCT's reported figures, working capital changes ranged from a $110.7M outflow to a $110.7M inflow across adjacent quarters, a magnitude that exceeds reported operating cash flow in several periods.
Such large reversals suggest collections timing, collaboration receivables, or payables settlement are the primary cash determinants rather than steady commercial activity. When working capital movements are of comparable size to the operating cash flow itself, the reported operating figure becomes less informative about recurring economics. Investors may wish to review receivables and deferred revenue balances to understand whether these reversals are timing differences or structural.
Cumulative Earnings Versus Cash Reality
Across the ten reported quarters, cumulative net income and cumulative operating cash flow tell different stories, with a single quarter of net income near $866.6M dominating the earnings total and masking sustained cash burn in most other periods.
Stripping out the 2025Q1 event, the cumulative net result across the remaining quarters is negative, which suggests the business has not generated durable earnings or cash on a sustained basis. The reported equity-based compensation of roughly $17M to $24M per quarter is non-trivial relative to the operating cash flow generated in most periods. This analysis is based on reported figures and does not establish the cause of the divergence.
What the Cash Flow Statement May Obscure
Based on reported figures, the 2025Q1 cash inflow of $870.1M may reflect a non-recurring collaboration or licensing receipt, and treating it as a run-rate would materially overstate PTCT's cash generation capacity.
A bull case would argue that lumpy licensing revenue is normal for a biotechnology company and that the underlying pipeline will eventually produce consistent cash flow. The reported data does not contain the detail needed to confirm whether recurring commercial revenue is growing, so that argument remains unverified. Investors should monitor future quarters for evidence that operating cash flow can sustain positive levels without relying on working capital reversals or episodic receipts.