Operating cash flow of $23.0M and free cash flow of $22.3M in 2027Q2 suggest a positive turn, but free cash flow was negative in six of the last ten quarters, and recent inflows were heavily driven by a $9.9M working capital release, which investors should monitor for recurrence.
Vera Bradley, Inc. (VRA) cash flow statement — 18-year operating, investing & financing cash flows
| Metric | TTM | Jan'26 | Jan'25 | Jan'24 | Jan'23 | Jan'22 | Jan'21 | Jan'20 | Jan'19 | Jan'18 | Jan'17 | Jan'16 | Jan'15 | Jan'14 | Jan'13 | Jan'12 | Jan'11 | Jan'10 | Jan'09 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 54.38M | 13.37M | -14.1M | 47.99M | -13.42M | 39.86M | 20.7M | 20.62M | 43.56M | 42.64M | 65.19M | 43.27M | 103.81M | 87.86M | 51.49M | 51.52M | 58.47M | 66.01M | 50.19M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 4.96% | -3.79% | 10.19% | -2.68% | 7.38% | 4.42% | 4.16% | 10.47% | 9.38% | 13.41% | 8.61% | 20.4% | 16.55% | 9.61% | 11.18% | 15.97% | 22.84% | 21.04% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 766.46% | 194.77% | -129.38% | 457.6% | -133.67% | 92.55% | 0.38% | -52.66% | 2.16% | -34.58% | 50.65% | -58.32% | 18.15% | 70.64% | -0.05% | -11.89% | -11.42% | 31.52% | - |
| Net Income | -10.03M | -32.68M | -62.19M | 7.84M | -79.38M | 20.22M | 10.69M | 15.24M | 20.76M | 7.02M | 19.76M | 27.56M | 39.45M | 58.81M | 68.87M | 57.92M | 46.2M | 43.22M | 23.67M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 27.11M | 27.99M | 30.3M | 31.91M | 33.7M | 32.91M | 43.62M | 45.77M | 16.54M | 19.57M | 19.52M | 19.42M | 14.8M | 15.1M | 10.83M | 9.46M | 8.41M | 10.67M | 7.35M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 2.6M | 0 | 3.68M | 2.94M | 3.24M | 4.93M | 5.65M | 5.94M | 4.93M | 3.07M | 4.03M | 5.03M | 3.51M | 2.95M | 2.76M | 1.59M | 15.89M | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 20.36M | 1.76M | -17.68M | -327K | 4.13M | -864K | -1.5M | 8.15M | -2.18M | -3.34M | 428K | -3.24M | -1.41M | 1.64M | -5.44M | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 1.31M | 2.13M | 8.86M | 5.76M | 70.54M | 149K | 9.02M | 6.8M | 728K | 6.99M | 13.01M | 656K | -127K | -124K | 578K | 604K | 761K | 2.32M | 386K |
| Working Capital Changes | 33.4M | 15.92M | -15.1M | -2.21M | -23.83M | -18.02M | -52.4M | -52.27M | 2.11M | -2.16M | 11.05M | -8.8M | 45.34M | 14.36M | -30.15M | -19.7M | -7.35M | 9.8M | 18.78M |
| Change in Receivables | 3.97M | -4.34M | 2.29M | 4.67M | -1.35M | 6.76M | -5.58M | -1.01M | 438K | 7.32M | 7.54M | -435K | -2.05M | 7.25M | 2.75M | -4.35M | -3.54M | -1.23M | 10.64M |
| Change in Inventory | 27.43M | 15.82M | 8.27M | 24M | 2.61M | -7.78M | -17.81M | -12.64M | -3.99M | 14.45M | 11.31M | -15.19M | 38.52M | -5.68M | -25.09M | -10.2M | -30.18M | -2.06M | 2.86M |
| Change in Payables | -6.67M | -2.12M | 5.57M | -5.99M | -10.22M | 7.52M | 7.35M | -615K | 738K | -18.21M | 9M | -8.66M | 2.87M | 12.89M | -12.42M | -2.74M | 10.79M | 3.15M | 4.54M |
| Cash from Investing | -998K | -1.54M | -10.37M | -13.77M | -8.24M | -4.15M | 17.68M | -69.97M | 17.95M | -51.6M | -50.77M | -26.32M | -37.13M | -22.86M | -35.89M | -18.84M | -9.87M | -5.84M | -16.45M |
| Capital Expenditures | -1.72M | -3.29M | -10.37M | -3.77M | -8.24M | -5.49M | -5.74M | -13.32M | -8.15M | -11.82M | -20.78M | -26.32M | -37.13M | -22.86M | -35.89M | -18.84M | -11.37M | -5.84M | -14.95M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 0.62% | 1.22% | 2.79% | 0.8% | 1.65% | 1.02% | 1.23% | 2.69% | 1.96% | 2.6% | 4.28% | 5.24% | 7.29% | 4.31% | 6.7% | 4.09% | 3.1% | 2.02% | 6.27% |
| Acquisitions | 717K | 1.75M | 0 | -10M | 0 | 45K | 993K | -76.03M | 5K | 32K | 8K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45K | 0 | 0 | 5K | 32K | 8K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | -1.5M |
| Cash from Financing | -34.3M | -23.57M | -22.52M | -3.55M | -20.11M | -11.41M | -24.15M | -14.29M | -16.77M | -8.65M | -25.71M | -31.53M | -13.6M | -15.31M | -10.83M | -41.76M | -41.16M | -54.43M | -33.01M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -33.34M | -23.34M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -15M | -10.09M | -41.83M | 36.7M | -28.82M | -7.87M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 0 | 0 | -21.76M | -2.19M | -18.06M | -7.74M | -3.08M | -11.34M | -16.06M | -7.91M | -24.96M | -30.87M | -12.84M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56.03M | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | -21.76M | -2.19M | -18.06M | -7.74M | -3.08M | -11.34M | -16.06M | -7.91M | -24.96M | -30.87M | -12.84M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -304K | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -963K | -233K | -751K | -1.36M | -2.04M | -3.67M | -21.07M | -2.94M | -707K | -741K | -756K | -661K | -763K | -313K | -738K | 76K | -1.1M | 0 | -1.02M |
| Net Change in Cash | 19.07M | -11.85M | -46.94M | 30.71M | -41.84M | 24.26M | 14.26M | -63.58M | 44.74M | -17.62M | -11.31M | -14.61M | 53.08M | 49.61M | 4.68M | -9.03M | 7.44M | 5.73M | 724K |
| Free Cash Flow | 52.67M | 10.07M | -24.48M | 44.22M | -21.66M | 34.37M | 14.96M | 7.31M | 35.42M | 30.82M | 44.41M | 16.95M | 66.68M | 65M | 15.6M | 32.68M | 47.1M | 60.16M | 35.24M |
| FCF Margin % | 19.19% | 3.74% | -6.58% | 9.39% | -4.33% | 6.36% | 3.19% | 1.48% | 8.51% | 6.78% | 9.14% | 3.37% | 13.1% | 12.24% | 2.91% | 7.09% | 12.87% | 20.82% | 14.77% |
| FCF Growth % | 256.82% | 141.16% | -155.34% | 304.17% | -163.02% | 129.77% | 104.72% | -79.37% | 14.91% | -30.6% | 162.03% | -74.58% | 2.59% | 316.71% | -52.27% | -30.62% | -21.71% | 70.73% | - |
| FCF per Share | 1.76 | 0.35 | -0.85 | 1.41 | -0.69 | 1.00 | 0.44 | 0.21 | 1.00 | 0.86 | 1.20 | 0.44 | 1.64 | 1.60 | 0.38 | 0.81 | 1.28 | 1.70 | 0.99 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -5.25x | -0.28x | 0.23x | 6.12x | 0.22x | 2.23x | 2.38x | 1.29x | 2.10x | 6.08x | 3.30x | 1.57x | 2.70x | 1.49x | 0.75x | 0.89x | 1.27x | 1.53x | 2.12x |
| Interest Paid | 45K | 0 | 140K | 145K | 0 | 293K | 1.13M | 119K | 169K | 187K | 248K | 259K | 275K | 161K | 797K | 956K | 1.12M | 1.78M | 2.62M |
| Taxes Paid | 225K | 0 | 1.35M | 837K | 0 | 9.08M | 5.08M | 6.49M | 4.04M | 1.94M | 24.82M | 9.3M | 25.96M | 42.29M | 36.74M | 43.85M | 921K | 412K | 1.46M |
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying VRA stock.
Vera Bradley, Inc. (VRA) generated $13.4M in net cash from operating activities in 2026. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Vera Bradley, Inc. (VRA) generated $10.1M 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.
Vera Bradley, Inc. (VRA) spent $3.3M on capital expenditures in 2026. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
Key Metrics
Top Statement Risk
Volatile operating cash burn
Metrics are mathematically derived from official filings.
Net Income Diverges From Operating Cash Flow
Based on reported quarterly figures, VRA's operating cash flow to net income ratio swung between negative and above 15x over the last ten quarters, making reported earnings a weak guide to underlying cash generation.
The 2026Q4 figure of 15.3x and the 2027Q2 figure of 5.1x occurred alongside modest positive net income, suggesting that working capital release rather than sustained earnings power drove these inflows. The 2025Q4 quarter, with a net loss of $47.0M but operating cash inflow of $21.7M, indicates that non-cash charges or balance sheet unwinds may be masking the true economics. Investors should monitor whether the cash conversion pattern reflects genuine earnings quality or timing effects that reverse in subsequent periods.
Free Cash Flow Trajectory Remains Erratic
According to the reported cash flow statements, VRA generated negative free cash flow in six of the last ten quarters, with free cash flow margins ranging from -38.3% to 47.6%, indicating limited predictability.
The most recent quarter, 2027Q2, produced $22.3M of free cash flow at a 31.1% margin, but this follows a 2027Q1 burn of $5.6M and reflects a sharp reversal driven largely by working capital movements of $9.9M. Across the full window, cumulative free cash flow remains close to breakeven rather than demonstrating a durable generation capacity. This pattern warrants caution in extrapolating recent strength.
Working Capital Release Drives Recent Inflows
As reported in the cash flow statements, working capital changes contributed between -$15.0M and +$32.2M per quarter, and the two strongest operating cash quarters coincided with large working capital inflows of $30.2M and $32.2M.
The reliance on working capital release to offset operating losses suggests that inventory liquidation or payables timing may be supporting cash results rather than core profitability. Because the data does not separately disclose inventory and receivables movements, the specific drivers remain unidentified. Investors should monitor whether these inflows persist without corresponding revenue recovery, as their reversal could pressure future operating cash flow.
Minimal Capital Intensity Limits Investment Burden
Based on VRA's reported figures, capital expenditures stayed below 4.3% of revenue in every quarter, with the 2025Q4 peak of $4.3M representing the highest outlay in the observed period.
Low capital intensity indicates the business does not require heavy reinvestment to sustain its current footprint, which is consistent with an accessories brand relying on outsourced production. Depreciation and amortization of roughly $6.7M to $7.9M per quarter exceeds recent capital spending, which may suggest underinvestment relative to the asset base or a shift toward lower-cost capital. Management's capital allocation intent cannot be determined from the supplied data.
Positive Quarters Mask Persistent Losses
As reported in the financial statements, VRA recorded positive free cash flow in only four of the last ten quarters, and recent positive quarters do not offset the cumulative operating cash burn observed in 2025 and early 2026.
Cumulative operating cash flow across the ten quarters remains only marginally positive, and the most recent recovery rests on a limited number of quarters. Taken together with prior statement findings of persistent operating losses, the cash results may reflect temporary timing benefits rather than a structural turnaround. Investors should treat the 2027Q2 inflow as insufficient evidence of sustained cash generation until it recurs across multiple periods.