Free cash flow generation remains inconsistent, with margins ranging from 5.4% to 16.6% and OCF/NI ratios exhibiting extreme volatility, such as the 27.49 observed in 2024Q4.
| 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 | Dec'07 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 624.92M | 621.5M | 551.55M | 456.68M | 460.59M | 554.15M | 559.77M | 619.56M | 620.56M | 557.65M | 521.52M | 533.13M | 382.57M | 395.84M | 397.31M | 305.87M | 300.05M | 187.58M | 47.48M | 155.28M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 16.78% | 14.02% | 11.22% | 11.3% | 14.54% | 18.45% | 18.09% | 17.71% | 16.86% | 16.38% | 18.6% | 15.87% | 19.96% | 20.73% | 16.74% | 19.48% | 16.53% | 3.34% | 11.07% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 45.75% | 12.68% | 20.77% | -0.85% | -16.88% | -1% | -9.65% | -0.16% | 11.28% | 6.93% | -2.18% | 39.36% | -3.35% | -0.37% | 29.9% | 1.94% | 59.96% | 295.06% | -69.42% | - |
| Net Income | 48.45M | 63.2M | 128.48M | -3.91M | 310.69M | 363.58M | 164.29M | 282.71M | 599M | 408.36M | 262.43M | 347.7M | 283.75M | 188.13M | 177.48M | 6.47M | 130.05M | -27.29M | -114.45M | -234.24M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 244.68M | 256.4M | 312.88M | 306.96M | 280.97M | 259.09M | 255.23M | 258.75M | 245.34M | 270.37M | 308.4M | 282.68M | 212.51M | 185.28M | 199.47M | 185.95M | 183.14M | 201.51M | 200.12M | 189.27M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 24.95M | 25M | 38.46M | 29.99M | 31.79M | 25.66M | 19.13M | 18.76M | 23.82M | 19.82M | 17.43M | 15.33M | 12.98M | 8.97M | 0 | 8.01M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.02M |
| Deferred Taxes | 16.49M | -200K | -233.41M | -54.16M | -781K | -5.27M | -44.9M | 27.62M | -144.07M | -56.76M | 8.34M | -179.01M | -59.16M | 25.71M | -26.38M | 48.66M | 24.27M | 25.76M | 29.15M | 43.51M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 216.08M | 251.5M | 359.59M | 338.08M | -36.3M | 35.13M | 11.56M | 42.46M | -36.58M | 10.69M | 18.85M | 42.02M | 16.26M | 13.68M | 24.8M | 128.36M | -23.8M | -71.74M | -41.83M | 113.7M |
| Working Capital Changes | 73.82M | 25.6M | -54.45M | -160.3M | -125.78M | -124.04M | 154.47M | -10.74M | -66.95M | -94.84M | -93.93M | 24.41M | -83.78M | -25.93M | 21.95M | -71.59M | -22.18M | 59.34M | -25.52M | 41.02M |
| Change in Receivables | 81.26M | 11.2M | 56.63M | 2.86M | -108.99M | -48.11M | -16.67M | 26.61M | -34.88M | -56.33M | -33.01M | 18.62M | -26.29M | -33.44M | 6.86M | -11.12M | -17.41M | -35.08M | 66.47M | 4.69M |
| Change in Inventory | 72.97M | -14.3M | 16.17M | -70.16M | -44.36M | -119.96M | 58.39M | -10.92M | -55.45M | -57.12M | -37.5M | 40.53M | -77.47M | -7.34M | 22.09M | -19.91M | -15.57M | 13.85M | 26.66M | -18.98M |
| Change in Payables | -76.1M | 56.7M | -109.95M | -80.71M | 40.93M | 35.33M | 90.48M | -34.56M | 48.37M | 23.84M | -21.43M | -38.03M | 19.19M | 23.9M | -13.88M | -16.4M | 9.99M | 61.58M | -108.1M | 45.86M |
| Cash from Investing | -106.38M | -95.8M | -98.55M | -165M | -590.57M | -882.09M | -182.09M | -208.78M | -237.61M | -140.72M | -174.78M | -1.17B | -1.43B | -87.65M | -62.5M | -554.46M | -52.55M | -15.08M | -38.71M | -355.71M |
| Capital Expenditures | -116.88M | -131.2M | -158.56M | -184.61M | -150.06M | -144.4M | -106.72M | -161.26M | -159.79M | -144.58M | -130.22M | -177.2M | -144.21M | -82.78M | -54.79M | -89.81M | -52.91M | -14.96M | -40.96M | -66.7M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 3.14% | 3.54% | 4.03% | 4.53% | 3.68% | 3.79% | 3.52% | 4.71% | 4.56% | 4.37% | 4.09% | 6.18% | 5.98% | 4.17% | 2.86% | 4.92% | 3.44% | 1.32% | 2.88% | 4.75% |
| Acquisitions | -28.16M | 33.7M | 56.32M | 19M | -432.68M | -736.08M | -64.43M | -32.47M | -78.53M | 8.86M | 5.44M | -989.17M | -1.29B | -13.77M | -7.71M | -464.65M | 364K | 585K | 2.48M | -276.98M |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 38.65M | 1.7M | 0 | 994K | 152K | 3.92M | 12.02M | -5.1M | 711K | -5M | 0 | 0 | 2.42M | 8.9M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -703K | -225K | -12.03M |
| Cash from Financing | -476.15M | -550.6M | -363.41M | -1.02B | -353.46M | 174.92M | 710.18M | -366.5M | -406.21M | -15.26M | -337.58M | 764.17M | 940.93M | -403.83M | -13.4M | -152.94M | 97.7M | -101.75M | 8.89M | 175.74M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 685K | -352.1M | -215.25M | -848.9M | -24.39M | 205.52M | 732.81M | -24.66M | -25.58M | -16.68M | -336.77M | 744.81M | 1.1B | -111.67M | -28.54M | -173.03M | -357.7M | -101.49M | 9.03M | 175.74M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 101.03M | -126.1M | -75.95M | -95.33M | -278M | -30.6M | -22.63M | -341.84M | -397M | 4.54M | -808K | 19.36M | -156.87M | -292.17M | 15.14M | 20.09M | 433.54M | -260K | -136K | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | -70M | -70.4M | -72.21M | -71.54M | -51.07M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 101.03M | -126.1M | -80.55M | -100.68M | -300.8M | -56.89M | -38.09M | -356.99M | -403.09M | -2.91M | -4.75M | -50K | -181.77M | -305.1M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -266K | -136K | 0 |
| Other Financing | -507.4M | -2M | 0 | -787K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.37M | -3.12M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.86M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | 47.16M | -20.5M | 85.57M | -717.41M | -483.44M | -153.03M | 1.09B | 44.29M | -23.26M | 401.66M | 9.16M | 130.93M | -106.57M | -95.64M | 321.41M | -401.54M | 345.19M | 70.75M | 17.66M | -24.7M |
| Free Cash Flow | 508.28M | 490.3M | 392.99M | 272.07M | 310.53M | 409.75M | 453.06M | 458.3M | 460.78M | 413.06M | 391.31M | 355.94M | 238.36M | 313.05M | 342.53M | 216.06M | 247.13M | 172.62M | 6.52M | 88.58M |
| FCF Margin % | 13.64% | 13.24% | 9.99% | 6.68% | 7.62% | 10.75% | 14.93% | 13.38% | 13.15% | 12.49% | 12.29% | 12.42% | 9.89% | 15.79% | 17.87% | 11.83% | 16.05% | 15.21% | 0.46% | 6.31% |
| FCF Growth % | 24.03% | 24.76% | 44.45% | -12.39% | -24.21% | -9.56% | -1.14% | -0.54% | 11.55% | 5.56% | 9.94% | 49.33% | -23.86% | -8.6% | 58.53% | -12.57% | 43.17% | 2548.33% | -92.64% | - |
| FCF per Share | 3.47 | 3.33 | 2.61 | 1.79 | 1.99 | 2.57 | 2.87 | 2.83 | 2.71 | 2.40 | 2.28 | 2.08 | 1.38 | 1.75 | 1.89 | 1.19 | 1.53 | 1.20 | 0.05 | 0.61 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 10.49x | 19.86x | 4.29x | -116.83x | 1.48x | 1.52x | 3.41x | 2.19x | 1.04x | 1.37x | 1.99x | 1.53x | 1.35x | 2.10x | 2.24x | 47.25x | 2.31x | -6.78x | -0.35x | -0.61x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 147.8M | 187.24M | 188.53M | 188.86M | 164.49M | 169.54M | 163.48M | 164.37M | 155.93M | 125.37M | 87.77M | 84.71M | 91.73M | 91.21M | 107.11M | 112.39M | 206M | 173.17M |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 92.56M | 95.47M | 68.77M | 66.64M | 65.82M | 61.03M | 72.92M | 48.48M | 43.15M | 41.3M | 41.13M | 33.56M | 14.15M | 21M | 22.18M | 18.52M | 17.6M | 25.84M |
Cyclical automotive demand exposure
As reported in recent financial statements, Sensata's operating cash flow frequently decouples from net income, with OCF/NI ratios swinging wildly from -5.43 in 2024Q3 to 27.49 in 2024Q4, suggesting that non-cash charges and accounting adjustments significantly distort the company's true underlying cash-generating performance for investors.
The extreme volatility in the OCF/NI ratio indicates that reported net income is a poor proxy for the company's actual liquidity generation. Investors should monitor whether these recurring accounting distortions are masking structural weaknesses in core operational profitability.
Based on historical cash flow data, Sensata's free cash flow margins have fluctuated between 5.4% and 16.6% over the last ten quarters, demonstrating that the company's ability to retain cash is highly sensitive to the cyclical production volumes of its primary automotive and industrial OEM customers.
While FCF remains positive, the inconsistency in margin expansion suggests that the company struggles to maintain operational efficiency during downturns. This variability warrants further investigation into whether the current cost structure can support stable cash flow during prolonged periods of automotive production contraction.
According to recent SEC filings, Sensata's capital expenditure as a percentage of revenue has trended between 1.9% and 5.4%, indicating a disciplined approach to asset maintenance despite the ongoing, capital-intensive transition toward high-voltage sensing architectures required for the next generation of electric vehicle platforms.
The moderate capital intensity suggests that management is balancing the need for R&D-driven growth with the reality of a mature, cyclical core business. However, investors should watch for potential spikes in growth-related capex that could further compress free cash flow if market demand fails to materialize.
As indicated by quarterly cash flow data, working capital changes have swung from a $62.9M outflow in 2024Q1 to a $51.1M inflow in 2025Q4, highlighting significant instability in the company's ability to manage inventory and receivables effectively across its fragmented industrial and automotive supply chains.
This erratic working capital behavior suggests potential challenges in aligning production schedules with actual customer demand, leading to periodic inventory build-ups. Such fluctuations may indicate that the company is struggling to optimize its cash conversion cycle amidst shifting global supply chain conditions.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying ST stock.
Sensata Technologies Holding plc (ST) generated $621.5M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Sensata Technologies Holding plc (ST) generated $490.3M 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.
Sensata Technologies Holding plc (ST) spent $131.2M 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, Sensata Technologies Holding plc (ST) returned $70.4M to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $126.1M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.