Free cash flow remains structurally negative, with a -16.0% margin in 2025Q2, highlighting a persistent inability to fund capital expenditures through internal operations.
| 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 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | -1.33M | -2.55M | -2.38M | -2.33M | -9.04M | -16.15M | -1.78M | -1.68M | 2.47M | 4.54M | -2.82M | -25.91M | -12.63M | -11.38M | -9.27M | 16.34M | 26.95M | 11.48M | 4.55M | 1.61M | 338.76K | 59.26K |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | -8.28% | -6.5% | -6.02% | -37.29% | -83.29% | -16.12% | -12.2% | 12.02% | 24.96% | -27.67% | -251.97% | -18.53% | -14.94% | -10.73% | 14.27% | 16.45% | 11.36% | 5.33% | 5.3% | 15.57% | 63.06% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 301.04% | -6.99% | -2.52% | 74.26% | 44.05% | -805.83% | -5.99% | -168% | -45.51% | 260.94% | 89.11% | -105.19% | -11% | -22.77% | -156.71% | -39.36% | 134.8% | 152.37% | 182.98% | 374.43% | 471.7% | - |
| Net Income | -7.09M | -10.06M | 0 | -697.94K | -7.08M | -9.92M | -18.33M | -3.59M | 1.88M | 939.31K | -18.52M | -8.69M | -29.75M | -122.21M | -90.62M | 8.57M | 35.47M | 30.14M | 23.79M | 13.33M | 1.59M | 37.76K |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 1.71M | 1.68M | 2.12M | 2.99M | 7.24M | 3.7M | 3.48M | 2.9M | 3.67M | 2.86M | 2.58M | 2.54M | 4.77M | 10.6M | 13.83M | 12.61M | 9.51M | 5.86M | 4.35M | 1.44M | 1.13K | 10.43K |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 820.4K | 0 | 0 | 1.36M | 23.1K | 2.95M | 298.09K | 494.32K | 584.63K | 487.41K | 273.1K | 102.28K | 81.61K | 6.9M | 0 | 0 | 3.13M | 1.45M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -23.1K | 5.7M | 14.09M | 3.81M | 1.1M | 725.71K | 365.4K | 3.76M | -4.82M | 1.5M | 306.84K | -1.69M | 110.2K | -1.27M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.51K |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 4.22M | 8.49M | 3.3M | 2.35M | 3.19M | 187.39K | 1M | 132.49K | -234.31K | 96.31K | 10.4M | -8.37M | 26.22M | 101.17M | 38.64M | 7.38M | 5.32M | 2.14M | 1.6M | 767.89K | 0 | 0 |
| Working Capital Changes | -996.18K | -2.66M | -7.81M | -8.33M | -12.38M | -18.77M | -2.33M | -5.42M | -4.53M | -565.39K | 2.08M | -15.25M | -9.13M | -9.35M | -4.52M | -12.11M | -26.59M | -26.84M | -25.19M | -13.94M | -1.26M | 2.56K |
| Change in Receivables | -5.77M | -1.88M | -2.1M | -591.03K | -3.73M | -392.49K | -3.33M | -4.34M | -10.29M | -6.84M | -913.49K | 2.91M | -7.59M | 510.42K | -7.46M | -4.54M | -27.89M | -24.85M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 7.37M | 5.11M | -5.17M | -1.79M | 101.79K | 165.57K | 59K | 207.23K | -320.27K | 652.92K | -590.27K | 1.55M | 5.67M | 773.29K | 3.58M | -6.17M | -8.94M | -1.22M | -472.83K | -1.4M | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | 0 | -762K | -110.33K | -1.36M | -5.99M | -5.88M | 1.03M | -503.27K | 4.03M | -239.63K | -1.81M | -24.13M | 103.73K | -11.12M | 7.18M | 7.1M | 3.76M | 11.07M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -1.63M | -1.35M | -1.08M | -1.21M | 4.31M | -14M | -1.73M | 151.85K | -4.07M | -3.78M | 9.1M | 42.08M | 6.32M | -3.23M | -5.56M | -18.63M | -62.36M | -14.66M | -21.05M | -31.96M | -498.75K | 0 |
| Capital Expenditures | -1.61M | -1.35M | -1.05M | -1.21M | -1.79M | -11.29M | -1.67M | -1.62M | -1.8M | -3.78M | -3.46M | -3.07M | -3.59M | -4.51M | -5.5M | -18.63M | -59.83M | -19.51M | -9.42M | -6.45M | -50.96K | 0 |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 4.46% | 4.38% | 2.87% | 3.13% | 7.4% | 58.24% | 15.08% | 11.74% | 8.73% | 20.8% | 33.98% | 29.86% | 5.27% | 5.93% | 6.37% | 16.26% | 36.52% | 19.32% | 11.04% | 21.27% | 2.34% | - |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 24.83K | 0 | 589 | 3.9K | -7.25M | 25.7K | 133 | 577 | 7.84K | 12.27M | -1.49M | -6.65M | -378.14K | -158.6K | 0 | 0 | -1.09M | -13.51M | -25.96M | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -16.74K | -22.26K | 0 | 0 | 6.1M | 4.54M | -90.98K | 1.77M | -2.27M | 7.84K | -11.97M | 46.64M | 15.75M | 3.91M | 2.24M | 0 | -2.53M | -2.56M | -7.43M | 447.79K | -447.79K | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | 4.64M | 4.42M | 3.75M | 3.84M | 22.72K | 33.03M | 3.07M | 1.59M | 176.79K | -485.49K | -7.15M | -24.14M | 6.4M | 14.72M | 11.48M | -2.17M | 38.56M | 7.11M | 5.23M | 49.54M | 332.3K | -33.35K |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 0 | 1.45M | -420.41K | 2.09M | 22.72K | 4.7M | 1.92M | 1.59M | 0 | -485.49K | -6.77M | -35.47M | 2.61M | 4.91M | 9.47M | -1.59M | 22.44M | 7.13M | 5.23M | 0 | 632.59K | -7.65K |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 0 | 2.97M | 4.17M | 1.75M | 0 | 28.32M | 1.15M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -379.71K | 11.48M | -1.29M | -3M | -315.58K | -684.05K | 9.38M | -11.47K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -542.81K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -379.71K | -1.31M | -1.29M | -3M | -315.58K | -684.05K | 0 | -11.47K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 4.64M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 176.79K | 0 | 0 | -146.74K | 5.07M | 12.81M | 2.33M | 109.33K | 6.74M | 0 | 0 | 49.54M | 332.3K | -25.75K |
| Net Change in Cash | 0 | 555.23K | 275.78K | 277.62K | -3.51M | 3.43M | -422.75K | -133.59K | -1.61M | -491.57K | -34.47K | -7.4M | 105.6K | 335.59K | -3.27M | -4.15M | 4.69M | 3.91M | -10.19M | 19.58M | 332.3K | 25.91K |
| Free Cash Flow | -2.94M | -3.9M | -3.44M | -3.54M | -10.83M | -27.44M | -3.45M | -3.3M | 676.29K | 757.18K | -6.28M | -28.99M | -16.22M | -15.89M | -14.77M | -2.29M | -32.88M | -8.04M | -4.87M | -4.85M | 287.8K | 59.26K |
| FCF Margin % | -8.14% | -12.66% | -9.38% | -9.15% | -44.69% | -141.53% | -31.2% | -23.94% | 3.29% | 4.16% | -61.66% | -281.83% | -23.8% | -20.87% | -17.1% | -2% | -20.07% | -7.96% | -5.71% | -15.97% | 13.23% | 63.06% |
| FCF Growth % | 47.51% | -13.45% | 2.76% | 67.35% | 60.54% | -695.19% | -4.54% | -588.17% | -10.68% | 112.05% | 78.32% | -78.71% | -2.06% | -7.61% | -546.17% | 93.05% | -309.18% | -65.09% | -0.46% | -1783.53% | 385.7% | - |
| FCF per Share | -4.12 | -3.05 | -0.75 | -1.85 | -6.95 | -21.17 | -4.68 | -4.74 | 0.98 | 1.12 | -9.37 | -47.86 | -29.54 | -34.32 | -32.81 | -4.95 | -73.77 | -18.67 | -12.12 | -12.82 | 0.83 | 1.47 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.42x | 0.25x | 1.31x | 3.33x | 1.28x | 1.63x | 0.10x | 0.47x | 1.46x | 5.29x | 0.16x | 3.45x | 0.43x | 0.10x | 0.10x | 2.07x | 0.78x | 0.38x | 0.19x | 0.12x | 0.21x | 1.57x |
| Interest Paid | 171.38K | 0 | 404.71K | 512.39K | 553.88K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 484.4K | -450.02K | 498.93K | 3.77M | 6.59M | 5.54M | 4.54M | 2.73M | 1.33M | 379.1K | 158.65K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 10.9K | 8.18K | 69.87K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 600 | 3.06K | 192 | 188.93K | 382.74K | 405.95K | 493.38K | 2.71M | 7.36M | 3.46M | 650.65K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Liquidity and operational viability
As reported in recent financial statements, Taoping's operating cash flow consistently fails to track with net income, evidenced by an OCF/NI ratio that frequently swings into negative territory, suggesting that reported earnings are not being converted into actual cash inflows to support the company's ongoing operational requirements.
The persistent gap between net income and operating cash flow indicates that the company's accounting earnings are heavily influenced by non-cash items or accruals that do not materialize as liquidity. Investors should monitor this divergence, as it suggests that the core business model is struggling to generate the cash necessary to sustain its own operations without external financing.
Based on the provided quarterly data, Taoping has consistently reported negative free cash flow margins, with recent figures reaching -16.0%, which highlights a structural inability to fund capital expenditures through internal operations and underscores the company's reliance on external capital to maintain its current infrastructure.
The negative FCF trajectory suggests that the company is effectively consuming cash to maintain its asset base rather than generating surplus capital. This trend appears to be worsening, which may indicate that the cost of maintaining the Taoping Net platform is outpacing the revenue generated from its decentralized screen network.
According to historical cash flow filings, Taoping's capital expenditure relative to revenue has remained elevated at approximately 7.6% in recent periods, indicating that the company is forced to reinvest a significant portion of its limited top-line revenue just to keep its existing technology infrastructure operational.
This level of capital intensity is particularly concerning given the company's negative operating margins and declining revenue base. It suggests that the firm is trapped in a cycle of maintenance spending that provides little in the way of future growth, further straining the company's already limited cash reserves.
As indicated by the quarterly cash flow data, significant fluctuations in working capital, including a $1.0 million inflow in 2025Q2, appear to be the primary driver of short-term cash movements rather than organic operational efficiency, warranting further investigation into the sustainability of these specific balance sheet adjustments.
The reliance on working capital shifts to manage cash flow suggests that the company may be aggressively managing payables or accelerating collections to offset operational losses. Such tactics are typically unsustainable and may indicate that the underlying business is facing significant pressure from its suppliers or customers.
Based on reported figures, the cash flow statement reveals a reliance on non-cash adjustments and working capital management that obscures the company's true burn rate, leaving investors with little visibility into how the firm intends to bridge its current liquidity gap without further dilutive equity issuance.
The absence of meaningful cash generation from core operations suggests that the company's reported financial health is highly sensitive to accounting timing. The lack of consistent, positive cash flow from operations implies that the business model may be fundamentally unviable in its current configuration.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying TAOP stock.
Taoping Inc. (TAOP) generated $-2.6M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Taoping Inc. (TAOP) reported negative free cash flow of $3.9M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Taoping Inc. (TAOP) spent $1.3M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.