Persistent operational cash burn is evident, as the company failed to generate positive free cash flow in any of the last ten quarters, with FCF margins reaching a trough of -8.4% in 2023Q4.
| 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 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | -20.89M | -18.79M | -23.74M | -26.28M | -24.52M | -26.98M | -13.96M | -22.36M | -22.54M | -16.47M | -14.4M | -11.67M | -4.61M | -5.09M | -2.82M | -1.5M | -2.84M | -2.26M | -1.29M | -3.3M | 120K |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | -299.16% | -412.53% | -216.65% | -207.18% | -204.94% | -120.57% | -335.13% | -278.5% | -297.34% | -676.75% | -424.3% | -152.01% | -213.12% | -87.46% | -11.52% | -23.21% | -19.02% | -10.29% | -32.51% | 1.26% |
| Operating CF Growth % | -78.54% | 20.85% | 9.66% | -7.16% | 9.12% | -93.21% | 37.54% | 0.83% | -36.91% | -14.37% | -23.39% | -153.16% | 9.48% | -80.34% | -87.76% | 47.14% | -25.8% | -75.9% | 61.05% | -2850% | - |
| Net Income | -30.71M | -32.27M | -73.54M | -50.15M | -40.76M | -40.38M | -17.95M | -26.48M | -21.88M | -19.63M | -19.25M | -13.43M | -7.87M | -10.15M | -5.49M | -3.88M | -4.56M | -3.25M | -4.89M | -3.06M | -720K |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 3.01M | 3.15M | 3.93M | 4.93M | 2.59M | 2.31M | 2.64M | 2.44M | 1.67M | 1.21M | 770.67K | 667.29K | 350.93K | 377.84K | 468.82K | 468.82K | 444.36K | 522.46K | 510.13K | 370K | 280K |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 3.04M | 5.33M | 11.57M | 12.71M | 15.78M | 17.3M | 2.81M | 1.5M | 2.2M | 1.62M | 902.98K | 2.24M | 260.75K | 159.27K | 172.23K | 298.66K | 243.97K | 355.2K | 180.3K | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.57M | -142.37K | 1.13M | 1.14M | 1.11M | 2.27M | 3.79M | 138.78K | 0 | 55.49K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 1.01M | 1.01M | 35.47M | 8.11M | 423.43K | 783.73K | 41.47K | 100K | 175K | 1.54M | 2.13M | 2.97M | 3.09M | 5.02M | 962.36K | -2.94M | 277K | 0 | 132.89K | -1.51M | 20K |
| Working Capital Changes | 2.76M | 3.99M | -1.17M | -1.88M | -2.54M | -7M | -1.5M | -4.49M | -4.56M | -1.2M | 1.05M | -4.11M | -436.87K | -507.01K | 1.07M | 671.23K | 747.39K | 111.64K | 2.79M | 900K | 540K |
| Change in Receivables | -13.4K | -257.7K | 941.15K | -1.48M | -2.05M | -853.55K | -289.41K | -599.58K | 201.84K | -870.86K | 222.38K | 57.84K | -168.61K | -44.32K | 607.88K | 254.82K | 87.84K | -33.14K | 1.49M | -930K | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 1.87M | 2.12M | 19.29K | -2.09M | 593.61K | -6.57M | -1.67M | -3M | -3.43M | -2.35M | -426.52K | -2.44M | 41.68K | -266.45K | 717.5K | 1.21M | -789.03K | -652.32K | -322.86K | -820K | 0 |
| Change in Payables | -22.21K | 146.79K | -1.03M | 358.88K | -843.01K | 537.61K | 454.37K | -1.61M | -846.4K | 2.64M | 178.04K | -1.28M | -237.01K | -379.63K | -912.12K | -362.23K | 191.43K | -826.41K | 733.69K | -1.29M | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -3.03M | -2.62M | -2.92M | -19.28M | -21.17M | -4.85M | -1.49M | -3.16M | -3.15M | -2.69M | -2.19M | -2.08M | -901.34K | -459.19K | 7.27M | -897.4K | -236.04K | -472.46K | -549.8K | -320K | -480K |
| Capital Expenditures | -2.57M | -2.01M | -1.36M | -5.32M | -1.72M | -3.81M | -496.63K | -2.91M | -3.15M | -2.69M | -2.19M | -2.08M | -901.34K | -459.19K | -248.11K | -897.4K | -236.04K | -472.46K | -549.8K | -320K | -480K |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 42.23% | 32.06% | 23.62% | 43.89% | 14.56% | 28.93% | 4.29% | 43.59% | 38.89% | 48.57% | 102.77% | 75.81% | 29.73% | 19.22% | 7.69% | 6.87% | 1.93% | 3.97% | 4.4% | 3.15% | 5.03% |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.3M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -454.08K | -604.82K | -1.56M | -11.46M | -17.15M | -1.04M | -988.88K | -250K | -1.78M | -1.01M | -147K | -191.91K | -705.44K | -313.26K | 7.45M | -97.01K | -85.49K | -134.59K | -125.64K | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | 28.85M | 24.37M | 18.29M | -449.56K | -1.95M | 115.97M | 40.91M | 18.86M | 28.06M | 19.51M | 19.24M | 25.54M | 5.29M | 5.79M | -4.8M | 182.22K | 3.22M | 4.42M | 2.29M | 3.41M | 880K |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.56M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -76.88K | -326.55K | 2.6M | -1.11M | -4.74M | 161.74K | 3.45M | 217.44K | 120.19K | -389.76K | 0 |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 18.81M | 24.39M | 8.18M | -470.76K | -2.01M | 91.61M | 25.2M | 18.86M | 28.02M | 21.13M | 21.11M | 0 | 0 | 8.05M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.11M | 2.14M | 3.8M | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | -62.33K | -22.41K | 0 | 0 | 0 | -10M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -94.73K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | -470.76K | -2.01M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.8M | 410K |
| Other Financing | 10.11M | 0 | 10.11M | 21.2K | 57.71K | 34.35M | 14.16M | 0 | 39.38K | -1.62M | -1.8M | 25.87M | 2.68M | -1.15M | -57.5K | 20.48K | -233.3K | -1.91M | 30.28K | 1.67K | 880K |
| Net Change in Cash | 4.94M | 2.96M | -8.37M | -46.01M | -47.64M | 84.13M | 25.46M | -6.66M | 2.37M | 355.69K | 2.66M | 11.79M | -225.17K | 243.59K | -351.42K | -2.22M | 136.3K | 1.68M | 453.86K | -200K | 520K |
| Free Cash Flow | -23.57M | -21.36M | -26.66M | -42.86M | -43.39M | -31.83M | -15.45M | -25.26M | -25.69M | -19.16M | -16.58M | -13.75M | -5.51M | -5.55M | -3.07M | -2.4M | -3.08M | -2.73M | -1.84M | -3.62M | -360K |
| FCF Margin % | -386.94% | -340.06% | -463.27% | -353.35% | -366.61% | -241.8% | -133.4% | -378.71% | -317.39% | -345.9% | -779.52% | -500.11% | -181.74% | -232.34% | -95.14% | -18.39% | -25.14% | -23% | -14.69% | -35.66% | -3.77% |
| FCF Growth % | -13.46% | 19.89% | 37.8% | 1.23% | -36.31% | -106.04% | 38.84% | 1.67% | -34.12% | -15.51% | -20.58% | -149.58% | 0.73% | -80.72% | -27.92% | 22.05% | -12.69% | -48.95% | 49.3% | -905.56% | - |
| FCF per Share | -0.29 | -0.28 | -0.39 | -0.68 | -0.68 | -0.52 | -0.41 | -0.83 | -0.95 | -0.91 | -0.98 | -0.89 | -0.53 | -0.93 | -0.84 | -0.57 | -0.88 | -0.93 | -0.66 | -1.47 | -0.16 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.77x | 0.58x | 0.32x | 0.52x | 0.60x | 0.67x | 0.78x | 0.84x | 1.03x | 0.84x | 0.75x | 0.87x | 0.59x | 0.50x | -8.75x | 0.39x | 0.62x | 0.70x | 0.26x | 1.08x | -0.22x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88.51K | 230.11K | 170.51K | 284.19K | 249.07K | 172.53K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88.51K | 230.11K | 19.01K | 39.5K | 9.43K | 36.69K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Persistent operational cash burn
As reported in quarterly financial statements, Vuzix consistently exhibits a significant gap between net losses and operating cash flow, with OCF/NI ratios fluctuating wildly, such as the 0.79 observed in 2026Q1, indicating that non-cash charges and working capital adjustments are masking the underlying severity of the cash burn.
The persistent divergence between net income and operating cash flow suggests that the company's accounting losses are not fully capturing the cash-outflow reality of its operations. Investors should monitor this gap, as it implies that the firm's ability to sustain its current R&D-heavy model relies on external financing rather than internal cash generation.
Based on the provided cash flow data, Vuzix has failed to generate positive free cash flow in any of the last ten quarters, with FCF margins remaining deeply negative, reaching a trough of -8.4% in 2023Q4, which underscores the structural inability of the current business model to self-fund.
The consistent negative FCF trajectory indicates that the company is effectively consuming capital to maintain its current scale of operations. This trend warrants further investigation into whether the firm can reach a pivot point where revenue growth finally outpaces the cash-intensive requirements of its waveguide manufacturing and development.
According to recent SEC filings, Vuzix maintains a high capital intensity, with CapEx/Revenue ratios occasionally exceeding 100%, such as the 160.7% recorded in 2023Q4, suggesting that the company is heavily reinvesting in manufacturing infrastructure despite the lack of a clear, scalable path to positive gross margins.
The high level of capital expenditure relative to revenue suggests that the firm is prioritizing the build-out of its waveguide production capabilities over immediate profitability. This strategy appears to be a high-stakes bet on future volume that has yet to materialize in the form of meaningful top-line growth.
As indicated by the quarterly cash flow data, working capital changes have been erratic, swinging from a $2.3 million outflow in 2024Q1 to a $1.6 million inflow in 2025Q1, which suggests that the company's cash position is highly sensitive to the timing of inventory procurement and customer payment cycles.
The volatility in working capital adjustments may be obscuring the true underlying cash burn rate of the core business. Investors should monitor these fluctuations closely, as they may indicate potential inefficiencies in inventory management or challenges in collecting payments from enterprise customers in a timely manner.
Based on reported figures, Vuzix relies heavily on stock-based compensation, which reached $3.2 million in 2024Q3, effectively acting as a non-cash substitute for salary expenses that would otherwise further exacerbate the company's already significant operating cash flow deficit.
The reliance on equity-based compensation suggests that the company is preserving cash by diluting shareholders to retain specialized talent. This practice warrants further investigation, as it may mask the true cost of operations and the long-term sustainability of the firm's human capital strategy.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying VUZI stock.
Vuzix Corporation (VUZI) generated $-18.8M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Vuzix Corporation (VUZI) reported negative free cash flow of $21.4M in 2025, indicating capital requirements exceeded cash from operations.
Vuzix Corporation (VUZI) spent $2.0M 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, Vuzix Corporation (VUZI) returned $0.0M to shareholders via cash dividends. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.