Free cash flow remains highly volatile, fluctuating between 5.1% and 59.6% margins, while the company continues to utilize cash for share repurchases despite ongoing net losses.
| Cash from Operations | 1.24B | 1.22B | 959.76M | 848.12M | 545.64M | 110.18M | -45.42M | -176.56M | -143.98M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 26.09% | 26.47% | 30.22% | 26.41% | 9.04% | -7.67% | -66.69% | -148.95% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 129.44% | 27.32% | 13.16% | 55.44% | 395.23% | 342.59% | 74.28% | -22.63% | - |
| Net Income | -1.2B | -1.33B | -1.29B | -837.99M | -797.53M | -679.95M | -539.1M | -348.54M | -178.03M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 239.24M | 220.44M | 182.51M | 119.9M | 63.53M | 21.5M | 9.83M | 3.52M | 1.36M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 1.62B | 1.6B | 1.48B | 1.17B | 861.53M | 605.1M | 301.44M | 78.4M | 22.41M |
| Deferred Taxes | -5.45M | -2.34M | -7.67M | -26.76M | -26.66M | -717K | -30K | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 282.59M | 349.56M | 151.24M | 34.24M | 155.24M | 95.82M | 75.56M | 40.72M | 4.06M |
| Working Capital Changes | 292.51M | 383.76M | 443.59M | 390.72M | 289.53M | 68.43M | 106.89M | 49.34M | 6.22M |
| Change in Receivables | -26.41M | -379.97M | 536K | -212.08M | -166.97M | -251.65M | -116.29M | -116.87M | -51.42M |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | -93.55M | -8.3M | 108.85M | 19.21M | 8.02M | 7.37M | -2.88M | 1.12M | 5.17M |
| Cash from Investing | -236.27M | 312.24M | 190.65M | 832.26M | -597.88M | -20.8M | -4.04B | 138.5M | -362.64M |
| Capital Expenditures | -67.09M | -101.63M | -46.28M | -35.09M | -25.13M | -16.22M | -35.04M | -18.58M | -2.06M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 1.33% | 2.17% | 1.28% | 1.25% | 1.22% | 1.33% | 5.92% | 7.02% | 2.13% |
| Acquisitions | -267.08M | -178.85M | -30.3M | -275.71M | -362.61M | 0 | -6.04M | -6.31M | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -167.33M | -3.1M | -30.18M | -62.88M | -24.71M | -37.11M | -13.67M | -4.26M | -1.96M |
| Cash from Financing | -1.19B | -1.39B | -226.52M | -854.1M | -92.62M | 178.2M | 4.78B | 57.47M | 413.6M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 0 | 0 | 2.07B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.09M | 0 | 0 |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -560.32M | -701.28M | -1.81B | -473.3M | 80.82M | 179.26M | 4.77B | 57.47M | 413.6M |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -682.9M | -873.54M | -1.93B | -591.73M | 0 | 0 | -30K | -391K | -29.64M |
| Other Financing | -632.55M | -684.11M | -489.4M | -380.8M | -173.45M | -1.06M | -1.16M | 0 | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | -183.9M | 165.63M | 866.05M | 822.85M | -145.83M | 250.54M | 693.22M | 19.41M | 122.57M |
| Free Cash Flow | 1.17B | 1.12B | 913.49M | 778.9M | 496.5M | 81.19M | -85.75M | -199.41M | -148M |
| FCF Margin % | 23.24% | 23.92% | 25.19% | 27.75% | 24.04% | 6.66% | -14.48% | -75.32% | -153.1% |
| FCF Growth % | 54.33% | 22.64% | 17.28% | 56.88% | 511.56% | 194.68% | 57% | -34.74% | - |
| FCF per Share | 3.39 | 3.32 | 2.75 | 2.37 | 1.56 | 0.27 | -0.30 | -0.72 | -0.62 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -0.98x | -0.92x | -0.75x | -1.01x | -0.68x | -0.16x | 0.08x | 0.51x | 0.81x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 15.68M | 12.45M | 6.55M | 1.48M | 1.2M | 0 | 0 |
High Stock-Based Compensation Dilution
As reported in financial statements, Snowflake consistently generates negative net income while maintaining positive operating cash flow, with the OCF/NI ratio frequently reflecting a significant disconnect due to the heavy reliance on stock-based compensation, which averaged over $390 million per quarter across the observed period.
The persistent gap between GAAP net losses and positive operating cash flow suggests that the company's cash generation is heavily reliant on non-cash accounting adjustments rather than core operational profitability. Investors should monitor this divergence, as it indicates that the reported cash flow figures may overstate the underlying economic health of the business.
Based on Snowflake's reported figures, free cash flow margins exhibit extreme volatility, ranging from 5.1% to 59.6% over the last ten quarters, which appears to be a direct consequence of the company's consumption-based revenue model and the timing of large enterprise capacity commitments.
This erratic FCF trajectory complicates long-term valuation, as cash inflows are sensitive to short-term fluctuations in customer compute usage. The lack of a stable FCF trend suggests that the company's ability to self-fund operations remains highly dependent on the predictability of enterprise data consumption patterns.
According to recent SEC filings, working capital changes have been a primary driver of quarterly cash flow fluctuations, with swings as large as $541 million in 2026Q4, indicating that the timing of customer billings and collections significantly influences the company's short-term liquidity position.
The high variability in working capital suggests that Snowflake's cash flow is susceptible to the timing of large contract renewals and the inherent lumpiness of its consumption-based billing cycles. This volatility warrants further investigation into the sustainability of cash inflows during periods of slower enterprise spending.
As detailed in the company's cash flow statements, Snowflake has utilized significant cash for share repurchases and acquisitions, including a $1 billion outlay in 2025Q3, despite the company's ongoing inability to generate consistent GAAP net income or achieve sustained operational profitability.
This capital allocation strategy appears to prioritize share count management and inorganic growth over the preservation of cash reserves. Such aggressive deployment, while potentially aimed at offsetting dilution, may indicate a lack of discipline given the company's current negative operating margin profile.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying SNOW stock.
Snowflake Inc. (SNOW) generated $1.22B in net cash from operating activities in 2026. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Snowflake Inc. (SNOW) generated $1.12B in free cash flow in 2026. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
Snowflake Inc. (SNOW) spent $101.6M on capital expenditures in 2026. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2026, Snowflake Inc. (SNOW) spent $873.5M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.