Free cash flow margin surged to 34.6% in 2026Q2 from 7.8% in 2024Q4, but working capital changes were negative in eight of the last ten quarters, and SBC of $278.4M in 2026Q2 may inflate cash flow while diluting shareholders.
Twilio Inc. (TWLO) cash flow statement — 13-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 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 1.1B | 1.04B | 716.24M | 414.75M | -254.37M | -58.19M | 32.65M | 14.05M | 7.98M | -3.26M | 10.09M | -18.76M | -17.36M | -22.62M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 20.5% | 16.07% | 9.98% | -6.65% | -2.05% | 1.85% | 1.24% | 1.23% | -0.82% | 3.64% | -11.24% | -19.54% | -45.32% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 226.8% | 45.04% | 72.69% | 263.05% | -337.12% | -278.21% | 132.45% | 75.97% | 344.88% | -132.31% | 153.78% | -8.08% | 23.26% | - |
| Net Income | 1.15B | 33.83M | -109.4M | -1.02B | -1.26B | -949.9M | -490.98M | -307.06M | -121.95M | -63.71M | -41.32M | -35.5M | -26.76M | -26.85M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 177.37M | 217.44M | 183.04M | 284.41M | 279.13M | 258.38M | 149.66M | 110.43M | 26.09M | 18.76M | 8.31M | 4.23M | 1.76M | 610K |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 590.31M | 600.41M | 616.61M | 675.86M | 798.56M | 632.28M | 360.94M | 264.32M | 93.27M | 49.62M | 24.23M | 8.88M | 3.98M | 2.16M |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -17.24M | -16.46M | -55.74M | 3.98M | 1.14M | 1.86M | -108K | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -626.69M | 265.43M | 260.13M | 700.57M | 320.73M | 203.39M | 126.88M | 50.06M | 21.4M | 1.14M | 94K | 818K | 261K | 213K |
| Working Capital Changes | -193.42M | -78.28M | -234.14M | -230.65M | -396.64M | -185.11M | -97.39M | -47.96M | -14.82M | -10.21M | 16.93M | 2.93M | 3.4M | 1.25M |
| Change in Receivables | -185.61M | -55.07M | -61.16M | -85.09M | -194.66M | -117.94M | -81.3M | -51.36M | -58.23M | -15.28M | -8.25M | -10.51M | -4.3M | -3.24M |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -123M | -39.97M | -16.82M | 30.48M | -3.93M | 19.39M | 10.8M | 4.84M | 4.88M |
| Change in Payables | -5.11M | -14.97M | -20.26M | 12.37M | 30.34M | 10.19M | 10.06M | 17.25M | 6.98M | 5.43M | 1.71M | 658K | 1.23M | -1.4M |
| Cash from Investing | -396.37M | 80.95M | 1.37B | 228.6M | -616.45M | -2.49B | -845.86M | -1.29B | -139.42M | -223.63M | -42.42M | -12.38M | -5.34M | -452K |
| Capital Expenditures | 13.25M | -57.82M | -58.79M | -11.31M | -80.18M | -90.02M | -59.13M | -67.29M | -24.66M | -26.82M | -26.49M | -10.62M | -5.17M | -3.45M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 0.24% | 1.14% | 1.32% | 0.27% | 2.1% | 3.17% | 3.36% | 5.93% | 3.79% | 6.72% | 9.55% | 6.36% | 5.82% | 6.92% |
| Acquisitions | -62.18M | -61.5M | 0 | 32.42M | -37.41M | -491.52M | -333.59M | 122.75M | -30.57M | -22.62M | -8.5M | -1.76M | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -85.35M | 0 | 0 | -39.92M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.12M | 0 | 0 | -170K | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | -857.41M | -868.69M | -2.31B | -643.61M | 45.01M | 3.1B | 1.49B | 1.02B | 515.82M | 36.44M | 229.16M | 107.35M | 612K | 65.61M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -36.8M | -40.9M | -12.56M | -16.13M | -13.42M | 976.43M | -10.78M | -11.05M | 550M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -820.49M | -827.58M | -2.3B | -624.91M | 59.53M | 1.9B | 1.51B | 1.04B | 39.88M | 37.12M | 230.2M | -17.41M | 612K | -4.32M |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -868.74M | -868.94M | -2.33B | -668.75M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -100K | -2K | -20.81M | -4K | -5.07M |
| Other Financing | -118K | -213K | -2M | -2.56M | -1.1M | 218.02M | -8.78M | -5.41M | -74.06M | -678K | -1.04M | 124.75M | 0 | 69.93M |
| Net Change in Cash | -146.17M | 261.04M | -234.63M | -147K | -825.75M | 547.95M | 680.15M | -251.6M | 384.55M | -190.38M | 196.83M | 76.21M | -22.09M | 42.54M |
| Free Cash Flow | 1.11B | 1.03B | 657.46M | 363.52M | -334.55M | -148.21M | -26.48M | -53.24M | -16.67M | -30.08M | -16.39M | -29.38M | -22.53M | -26.07M |
| FCF Margin % | 19.91% | 20.39% | 14.75% | 8.75% | -8.74% | -5.22% | -1.5% | -4.69% | -2.56% | -7.54% | -5.91% | -17.6% | -25.36% | -52.23% |
| FCF Growth % | 53.17% | 57.12% | 80.86% | 208.66% | -125.72% | -459.74% | 50.27% | -219.35% | 44.57% | -83.46% | 44.2% | -30.4% | 13.59% | - |
| FCF per Share | 6.95 | 6.46 | 3.96 | 1.98 | -1.83 | -0.85 | -0.18 | -0.41 | -0.17 | -0.33 | -0.19 | -0.38 | -0.31 | -1.55 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.97x | 30.70x | -6.55x | -0.41x | 0.20x | 0.06x | -0.07x | -0.05x | -0.07x | 0.05x | -0.24x | 0.53x | 0.65x | 0.84x |
| Interest Paid | 18.76M | 0 | 37.9M | 38.39M | 37.5M | 20.64M | 2.14M | 2.29M | 741K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 2.86M | 0 | 36.55M | 37.82M | 7.41M | 6.15M | 3.09M | 1.37M | 564K | 605K | 225K | 46K | 13K | 1K |
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying TWLO stock.
Twilio Inc. (TWLO) generated $1.04B in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Twilio Inc. (TWLO) generated $1.03B 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.
Twilio Inc. (TWLO) spent $57.8M 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, Twilio Inc. (TWLO) spent $868.9M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.
Key Metrics
Top Statement Risk
SBC dilution and one-time gains
Metrics are mathematically derived from official filings.
Earnings Quality Distorted by One-Time Gains
Twilio's operating cash flow to net income ratio swung from negative to 0.49 in 2026Q2, per reported figures, as a $1.1B net income included a large one-time gain, masking underlying conversion.
The 2026Q2 net income of $1.1B far exceeded operating cash flow of $525.6M, yielding an OCF/NI ratio of 0.49, which suggests that the reported profit is not fully cash-backed. Excluding the one-time gain, the underlying earnings power appears more aligned with cash generation, as seen in prior quarters where OCF exceeded net income. Investors should monitor whether this gap persists, as it may indicate that reported profitability is overstated by non-cash items.
Free Cash Flow Margin Expansion Accelerates
Twilio's free cash flow margin surged to 34.6% in 2026Q2 from 7.8% in 2024Q4, based on financial statements, indicating a rapid improvement in cash generation relative to revenue.
The FCF margin trajectory shows a clear upward trend, with 2026Q2 FCF of $518.4M representing a significant jump from $93.5M in 2024Q4. This improvement appears driven by revenue growth and disciplined capex, as capital expenditures remain minimal at 0.5% of revenue. The sustained margin expansion suggests that Twilio is converting its revenue growth into cash more efficiently, though the 2026Q2 figure may be temporarily boosted by the one-time gain in net income.
Asset-Light Model Keeps Capex Minimal
Twilio's capital expenditures averaged just 0.9% of revenue over the last ten quarters, per reported data, reflecting an asset-light business model that requires minimal fixed investment.
Capex has remained consistently low, ranging from 0.1% to 1.7% of revenue, with 2026Q2 at 0.5%. This suggests that Twilio's growth is not capital-intensive, allowing most operating cash flow to convert directly into free cash flow. The low capital intensity implies that the company can scale without significant reinvestment, but investors should consider whether this underinvestment could eventually limit capacity or innovation.
Working Capital Drags on Cash Flow
Working capital changes were negative in eight of the last ten quarters, per financial statements, with 2026Q2 showing a -$175.0M impact, indicating that cash flow is being absorbed by operational needs.
The persistent negative working capital changes, particularly the -$175.0M in 2026Q2, suggest that Twilio is investing in receivables or inventory to support its accelerating revenue growth. This trend may indicate that collections are lagging behind sales, which could pressure future cash flow if not managed. However, the overall cash flow remains strong, so the working capital drag appears manageable, but it warrants monitoring as growth continues.
Aggressive Buybacks Offset by No Dividends
Twilio allocated over $3.8 billion to share repurchases in the last ten quarters, per reported figures, while paying no dividends, signaling a focus on returning capital through buybacks.
Buybacks have been substantial, with 2026Q2 alone seeing $323.0M, and cumulative buybacks exceeding $3.8B over the period. This aggressive repurchase activity suggests management believes the stock is undervalued, but it also consumes cash that could be used for other purposes. The absence of dividends indicates a preference for buybacks, which may be dilutive to shareholders if not executed at favorable prices.
Cumulative Cash Generation Outpaces Net Income
Over the last ten quarters, Twilio's cumulative operating cash flow of $2.4B exceeded cumulative net income of $1.1B, per reported data, indicating that cash earnings are stronger than accounting profits.
The cumulative gap between operating cash flow and net income is positive, suggesting that Twilio's earnings quality is high, with cash generation exceeding reported profits. This divergence is largely due to non-cash charges like depreciation and stock-based compensation, which reduce net income but do not impact cash. The trend implies that the company's underlying cash-generating ability is robust, even as accounting profits fluctuate with one-time items.
What Could Invalidate the Base Case
Twilio's heavy stock-based compensation, exceeding $278M in 2026Q2 per reported figures, may inflate reported cash flow while diluting shareholders, potentially undermining the quality of its cash generation.
While operating cash flow appears strong, the substantial SBC expense, which is added back in the cash flow statement, suggests that a portion of the cash generation is not from core operations but from non-cash compensation. This could overstate the sustainability of cash flows if SBC continues to grow. Additionally, the one-time gain in 2026Q2 net income may mask underlying profitability, and investors should monitor whether the gap between net income and operating cash flow narrows without such items.