Free cash flow generation remains highly volatile and unreliable, evidenced by a range of outcomes from a negative 6.5% margin in 2025Q1 to a positive 8.4% in 2024Q2.
| Metric | 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 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 274M | 525M | 919M | 194M | 1.23B | 2.46B | 1.28B | 1.27B | 1.49B | 1.44B | 1B | 1.82B | 1.36B | 1.47B | 865M | 1.29B | 1.09B | 508M | 604M | 553M | 754M |
| Operating CF Margin % | 2.97% | 5.23% | 8.42% | 1.6% | 8.72% | 17.32% | 9.54% | 9.05% | 14.32% | 13.55% | 10.96% | 18.13% | 13.31% | 14.89% | 9% | 14.42% | 13.09% | 6.29% | 6.41% | 7.55% | 11.6% |
| Operating CF Growth % | -47.81% | -42.87% | 373.71% | -84.16% | -50.1% | 91.2% | 0.86% | -14.56% | 3.26% | 43.58% | -44.72% | 33.68% | -7.61% | 70.17% | -32.84% | 18.49% | 113.98% | -15.89% | 9.22% | -26.66% | - |
| Net Income | -2.4B | -1.25B | -94M | -2.53B | 421M | 1.25B | -405M | 823M | 2.04B | 775M | 674M | 574M | 500M | 575M | 580M | 872M | 297M | -745M | 441M | 511M | 298M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 398M | 383M | 407M | 481M | 537M | 562M | 606M | 637M | 725M | 874M | 657M | 650M | 629M | 591M | 641M | 571M | 566M | 561M | 536M | 491M | 449M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 16M | 32M | 53M | 60M | 72M | 64M | 71M | 88M | 123M | 97M | 60M | 83M | 110M | 84M | 49M | 67M | 38M | 23M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | -230M | -211M | 80M | 12M | -4M | -348M | -243M | -185M | -1.16B | 191M | -122M | -160M | -132M | -177M | -109M | -144M | -203M | -828M | -128M | -262M | -185M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 2.55B | 1.54B | 363M | 2.44B | 481M | 97M | 1.59B | 151M | -316M | -513M | -22M | 406M | 640M | 46M | -102M | -371M | 242M | 1.74B | -42M | -6M | 109M |
| Working Capital Changes | -58M | 31M | 110M | -269M | -282M | 826M | -337M | -241M | 80M | 19M | -242M | 265M | -387M | 353M | -194M | 293M | 147M | -239M | -203M | -181M | 83M |
| Change in Receivables | 104M | 144M | 36M | 124M | 27M | 232M | -18M | -75M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 112M | -28M | 257M | 254M | -440M | 133M | 62M | -106M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | -89M | -104M | -34M | -446M | 147M | 185M | -122M | 56M | 225M | -117M | 3M | 345M | -337M | 433M | 0 | 46M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -245M | -225M | -54M | 601M | -501M | -161M | -600M | 47M | -391M | -1.48B | -909M | -652M | -360M | -458M | -437M | -5M | 48M | -541M | -587M | -1.02B | -171M |
| Capital Expenditures | -249M | -236M | -343M | -313M | -431M | -313M | -325M | -275M | -204M | -233M | -218M | -226M | -291M | -333M | -312M | -258M | -208M | -166M | -289M | -259M | -153M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 2.7% | 2.35% | 3.14% | 2.59% | 3.07% | 2.21% | 2.41% | 1.95% | 1.96% | 2.19% | 2.38% | 2.25% | 2.85% | 3.37% | 3.24% | 2.89% | 2.5% | 2.05% | 3.07% | 3.54% | 2.35% |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 6M | -41M | 704M | -202M | -119M | -141M | -100M | -137M | -86M | -624M | -4M | -27M | -142M | -56M | 459M | -2M | -51M | -236M | -436M | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 4M | -2M | 271M | 197M | 51M | 119M | 7M | -140M | 106M | -2.42B | -76M | -401M | -42M | -29M | -23M | -178M | -31M | 0 | -62M | -344M | -18M |
| Cash from Financing | 1.06B | -498M | -1.01B | -72M | -914M | -2.18B | -661M | -1.57B | -1.04B | -1.57B | -89M | -66M | -2.38B | -1.14B | -930M | -1.9B | -1.07B | 278M | -416M | 446M | -448M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 1.12B | -440M | -991M | 21M | 443M | -779M | -113M | -174M | -162M | -1.07B | 725M | 797M | 468M | 920M | -405M | -1.81B | -945M | 351M | 780M | 1.04B | -934M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 0 | -2M | -1M | -7M | -365M | -70M | -392M | -988M | -765M | -500M | -785M | -785M | -1.09B | -815M | -366M | 0 | -18M | -56M | -1.22B | -954M | -85M |
| Dividends Paid | -1M | -4M | -8M | -12M | -503M | -1.25B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | -2M | -1M | -7M | -365M | -70M | -392M | -988M | -765M | -500M | -785M | -785M | -1.09B | -815M | -366M | 0 | -18M | -56M | -1.22B | -954M | -85M |
| Other Financing | -51M | -52M | -10M | -74M | -489M | -81M | -156M | -412M | -109M | -1M | -29M | -78M | -1.76B | -1.25B | -159M | -86M | -103M | -17M | 28M | 361M | 571M |
| Net Change in Cash | 1.11B | -213M | -149M | 689M | -218M | 133M | 21M | -252M | 76M | -1.62B | 4M | 1.05B | -103M | -148M | -506M | -3.48B | 52M | 275M | -389M | 1M | 90M |
| Free Cash Flow | 25M | 289M | 576M | -119M | 794M | 2.14B | 825M | 858M | 1.24B | 1.21B | 787M | 998M | 694M | 1.14B | 676M | 1.03B | 879M | 342M | 315M | 294M | 601M |
| FCF Margin % | 0.27% | 2.88% | 5.28% | -0.98% | 5.65% | 15.11% | 6.13% | 6.1% | 11.87% | 11.36% | 8.58% | 9.95% | 6.79% | 11.52% | 7.03% | 11.53% | 10.58% | 4.23% | 3.34% | 4.01% | 9.24% |
| FCF Growth % | -91.35% | -49.83% | 584.03% | -114.99% | -62.93% | 159.64% | -3.85% | -30.53% | 2.07% | 53.75% | -21.14% | 43.8% | -39.07% | 68.49% | -34.37% | 17.18% | 157.02% | 8.57% | 7.14% | -51.08% | - |
| FCF per Share | 3.11 | 36.49 | 74.23 | -15.54 | 95.66 | 254.39 | 97.29 | 92.26 | 137.83 | 131.99 | 82.84 | 101.42 | 65.84 | 104.50 | 58.44 | 85.86 | 61.62 | 28.79 | 24.76 | 21.94 | 42.89 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -0.11x | -0.41x | -6.34x | -0.07x | 3.60x | 2.05x | -2.82x | 1.39x | 0.61x | 1.17x | 1.57x | 3.39x | 3.11x | 3.16x | 0.96x | 0.67x | 4.21x | -0.65x | 1.37x | 1.08x | 2.53x |
| Interest Paid | 414M | 458M | 471M | 447M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 106M | 153M | 107M | 284M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Secular linear television decline
As reported in recent financial statements, the relationship between net income and operating cash flow is highly erratic, with the OCF/NI ratio fluctuating from -26.00 in 2024Q1 to 134.00 in 2023Q3, suggesting that accounting impairments frequently obscure the company's actual ability to generate cash from operations.
The extreme divergence between net income and operating cash flow indicates that GAAP earnings are heavily impacted by non-cash charges, likely goodwill impairments. Investors should monitor this disconnect, as it suggests that the core retail business may be more cash-generative than the headline net losses imply, provided the underlying customer base remains stable.
Based on the provided cash flow data, free cash flow margins have exhibited significant volatility, ranging from a negative 6.5% in 2025Q1 to a positive 8.4% in 2024Q2, reflecting the company's struggle to maintain consistent cash generation amidst a secular decline in its primary sales channels.
The inability to sustain positive free cash flow suggests that the business model is highly sensitive to seasonal fluctuations and inventory management challenges. This inconsistency warrants further investigation into whether the company can achieve a stable cash flow profile as it attempts to pivot toward streaming-based distribution.
According to quarterly filings, working capital changes have been a primary driver of cash flow variability, with a notable $182 million inflow in 2024Q2 contrasting sharply with a $105 million outflow in 2024Q1, highlighting the company's reliance on aggressive inventory and payables management to preserve liquidity.
These sharp swings in working capital suggest that the company is actively managing its cash position by timing payments and inventory intake. Such tactics may provide short-term relief, but they appear to be a reactive measure to the broader revenue contraction rather than a sign of operational efficiency.
As indicated by the reported figures, capital expenditures have remained relatively disciplined, with the CapEx/Revenue ratio peaking at 5.4% in 2025Q3, suggesting that management is prioritizing cash preservation over significant investment in new broadcasting or digital infrastructure during this period of secular decline.
The relatively low capital intensity appears to be a defensive posture, reflecting the company's focus on maintaining existing operations rather than pursuing aggressive growth. This strategy may help preserve cash in the near term, but it raises questions about the company's ability to innovate its platform for future relevance.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying QVCGA stock.
QVC Group Inc. (QVCGA) generated $274.0M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
QVC Group Inc. (QVCGA) generated $25.0M 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.
QVC Group Inc. (QVCGA) spent $249.0M 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, QVC Group Inc. (QVCGA) returned $1.0M to shareholders via cash dividends. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.