Cash generation remains erratic, highlighted by a free cash flow margin that swung from -1.8% in 2024Q1 to 41.6% in 2024Q3, complicating the sustainability of the firm's aggressive $270.3 million acquisition strategy seen in 2025Q4.
| 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'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 | Dec'98 | Dec'97 | Dec'96 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 161.5M | 149.46M | 113.46M | 85.6M | 55.09M | 75.32M | 47.14M | 46.83M | 37.47M | 48.51M | 54.91M | 155.11M | 82.63M | 70.12M | 11.23M | 13.69M | -1.05M | -3.73M | -8.34M | -7.14M | -8.1M | -4.74M | -3.71M |
| Operating CF Growth % | 272.89% | 31.72% | 32.55% | 55.39% | -26.86% | 59.79% | 0.65% | 24.99% | -22.76% | -11.66% | -64.6% | 87.72% | 17.83% | 524.21% | -17.95% | 1402.2% | 71.8% | 55.27% | -16.73% | 11.85% | -70.8% | -27.86% | - |
| Net Income | 61.37M | 109.13M | 66.69M | 102.55M | 50.68M | 49.8M | -35.66M | 19.71M | 36.63M | 27.2M | 26.16M | 80.05M | 61.05M | 51.54M | 11.03M | 3.09M | -865.75K | -4.47M | -3.41M | -4.19M | -7.81M | -4.96M | -3.19M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 8.47M | 5.3M | 3.06M | 2.16M | 1.23M | 2.69M | 4.2M | 4.22M | 1.3M | 1.4M | 1.3M | 1.01M | 821K | 439K | 307K | 267K | 103.55K | 468.16K | 557.8K | 523.72K | 321.28K | 343.31K | 198.96K |
| Deferred Taxes | -3.21M | 981K | -398K | -481K | -1.3M | 316K | -2.19M | -349K | -6.08M | 8.84M | 12.9M | 53.02M | 12.4M | 0 | 0 | -3.09M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | 7.61M | -55.86M | -22.01M | -84.75M | -48.45M | -38.83M | 35.51M | -24.58M | -17.65M | -5.99M | 1.4M | -79K | 1.5M | 822K | 54K | 3.07M | -230.43K | 831.06K | -3.77M | -3.79M | 95.13K | 0 | 0 |
| Working Capital Changes | 71.88M | 68.28M | 45.43M | 49.94M | 42.54M | 51.35M | 33.56M | 36.24M | 10.01M | 2.35M | -1.74M | 10.21M | -1.28M | 10.87M | -7.59M | 3.21M | -58.82K | -562.13K | -1.72M | 321.26K | -707.44K | -126.25K | -719.37K |
| Cash from Investing | -274.18M | -313.03M | -23.88M | 82.05M | -37.66M | -99.63M | 10.64M | -7M | -181.78M | -37.02M | -89.27M | -12.32M | -5.83M | -7.03M | -2.36M | -680K | 182.31K | 2.01M | 6.19M | 3.75M | 1.92M | 731.7K | 1.04M |
| Purchase of Investments | -42.87M | -20.05M | -70.11M | -68.59M | -89.6M | -121.28M | -36.44M | -8.11M | 0 | -111.77M | -99.12M | -14.47M | -3.23M | -3.6M | -10M | -8.11M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -753.08K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sale/Maturity of Investments | 8.47M | 12.58M | 48.15M | 123.59M | 52.16M | 19.58M | 35.19M | 3.24M | 65.61M | 95.29M | 22.74M | 4.76M | 939K | 2.78M | 7.84M | 7.54M | 151.98K | 0 | 0 | 5.84M | 223.56K | 0 | 0 |
| Net Investment Activity | -34.4M | -7.48M | -21.96M | 55M | -37.44M | -101.7M | -1.25M | -4.87M | 65.61M | -16.48M | -76.38M | -9.7M | -2.29M | -816K | -2.17M | -572K | 151.98K | 0 | 0 | 5.09M | 223.56K | 0 | 0 |
| Acquisitions | -270.35M | -270.35M | 565K | -985K | 15.57M | 2.36M | 12.37M | 0 | -239.31M | -2.13M | -11.82M | 0 | 1.35M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Investing | 31.76M | -35M | -2.34M | 28.15M | -15.57M | 0 | 0 | -2.09M | -8M | -15.99M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70.87K | 2.58M | 6.59M | 233.08K | 2.05M | 910.07K | 1.56M |
| Cash from Financing | 565.8M | 288.28M | -36M | -171.64M | -22.78M | 92.55M | -60.18M | -43.57M | 169.2M | -51.14M | -82.84M | -98.14M | -15.77M | -27K | 6.74M | -1.61M | 0 | -796.25K | 401.26K | 5.07M | 7.4M | 6M | -2.06M |
| Dividends Paid | -17.43M | -17.31M | -19M | -20.14M | -19.36M | -19.46M | -20.11M | -20.39M | -19.24M | -43.78M | -43.66M | -78.54M | -10.79M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -157.6K | -188.71K | -216.99K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -116.85M | -102.73M | -62.87M | -3.57M | -3.42M | -34.51M | -31.2M | -2.34M | -2.88M | -7.89M | -39.38M | -24.12M | -6.53M | -1.61M | -2.26M | -2.15M | 0 | 0 | -160.3K | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.45M |
| Stock Issued | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.33M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 111.62K | 5.29M | 5.4M | 6M | 389.06K |
| Net Stock Activity | -116.85M | -102.73M | -62.87M | -3.57M | -3.42M | -34.51M | -31.2M | -2.34M | -2.88M | -7.89M | -39.38M | -24.12M | -6.53M | -1.61M | 2.07M | -2.15M | 0 | 0 | -48.69K | 5.29M | 5.4M | 6M | -2.06M |
| Debt Issuance (Net) | -1.64M | 1000K | 1000K | -1000K | 0 | 1000K | -1000K | -1000K | 1000K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 417.83M | -14.8M | -22.6M | -53.65M | 0 | -3.48M | -5.12M | 160K | -8.68M | 532K | 195K | 4.52M | 1.54M | 1.59M | 4.67M | 538K | 0 | -638.65K | 638.65K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | 455.13M | 130.54M | 51.89M | -2.8M | -8.61M | 67.28M | -1.55M | -2.81M | 23.59M | -38.53M | -117.35M | 44.79M | 60.97M | 63.07M | 15.62M | 11.4M | -830.65K | -3.4M | -1.74M | 1.68M | 1.22M | 1.99M | -4.73M |
| Exchange Rate Effect | 2.01M | 5.84M | -1.7M | 1.19M | -3.26M | -955K | 855K | 927K | -1.3M | 1.12M | -150K | 130K | -59K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -892.8K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash at Beginning | 311.73M | 181.19M | 129.31M | 132.1M | 140.71M | 73.42M | 74.97M | 77.78M | 54.19M | 92.72M | 210.07M | 165.28M | 104.32M | 41.25M | 25.63M | 14.23M | 1.29M | 4.69M | 6.44M | 4.75M | 3.53M | 1.54M | 6.28M |
| Cash at End | 625.5M | 311.73M | 181.19M | 129.31M | 132.1M | 140.71M | 73.42M | 74.97M | 77.78M | 54.19M | 92.72M | 210.07M | 165.28M | 104.32M | 41.25M | 25.63M | 460.8K | 1.29M | 4.69M | 6.44M | 4.75M | 3.53M | 1.54M |
| Interest Paid | 11.22M | 0 | 12.35M | 10.71M | 12.31M | 9.9M | 7.09M | 8.04M | 5.58M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Income Taxes Paid | 26.3M | 0 | 32.22M | 16.16M | 12.5M | 8.46M | 10.13M | 10.06M | 14.4M | 33.11M | 14.99M | 1.26M | 66K | 38K | 33K | 13K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Free Cash Flow | 159.85M | 149.24M | 113.32M | 83.34M | 54.87M | 75.03M | 46.66M | 46.78M | 37.4M | 46.08M | 53.84M | 152.5M | 77.74M | 63.91M | 11.04M | 13.58M | -1.09M | -4.29M | -8.73M | -8.71M | -8.46M | -4.92M | -4.22M |
| FCF Growth % | 34.31% | 31.7% | 35.98% | 51.89% | -26.87% | 60.78% | -0.26% | 25.1% | -18.85% | -14.41% | -64.69% | 96.17% | 21.63% | 478.71% | -18.7% | 1343.97% | 74.54% | 50.87% | -0.24% | -3.01% | -71.8% | -16.53% | - |
Operating Cash Flow Volatility
As reported in recent financial filings, WisdomTree's operating cash flow to net income ratio has fluctuated wildly, reaching a low of -0.80 in 2026Q1, which highlights a significant disconnect between accounting profitability and the actual cash-generating capacity of the firm's core advisory business model.
The frequent divergence between net income and operating cash flow suggests that non-operating items, such as seed capital investment gains or losses, are heavily distorting the firm's reported earnings. Investors should monitor this relationship closely, as the inability to consistently convert accounting profits into cash may indicate underlying structural inefficiencies in the firm's revenue recognition or investment activities.
Based on the provided quarterly data, WisdomTree's free cash flow margin has demonstrated extreme instability, swinging from a negative 1.8% in 2024Q1 to a peak of 41.6% in 2024Q3, reflecting the inherent sensitivity of the firm's cash generation to market-driven AUM fluctuations and non-operating cash outflows.
The erratic nature of free cash flow suggests that the firm's cash generation is not yet decoupled from the volatility of its underlying asset base. This lack of consistency complicates long-term valuation, as the firm's ability to fund dividends and share repurchases appears highly dependent on short-term market performance rather than stable, recurring operational cash flows.
According to the cash flow statements, WisdomTree experienced significant working capital volatility, with quarterly changes ranging from a $15.1 million outflow in 2026Q1 to a $31.6 million inflow in 2024Q3, which suggests that timing differences in fee collection and operational expenses are creating substantial noise in cash reporting.
These large swings in working capital indicate that the firm's cash position is susceptible to timing mismatches between the recognition of advisory fees and the actual receipt of cash. Analysts should investigate whether these fluctuations are purely timing-related or if they reflect deeper issues in the firm's billing cycles or the credit quality of its institutional client base.
As detailed in recent SEC filings, WisdomTree has prioritized significant capital deployment through share repurchases and acquisitions, including a $270.3 million net acquisition outflow in 2025Q4, which appears to be occurring despite the firm's inconsistent ability to generate stable, recurring free cash flow from its operations.
The firm's willingness to engage in large-scale acquisitions and buybacks while operating cash flow remains volatile warrants further investigation into the sustainability of its capital allocation strategy. Investors should consider whether these deployments are effectively driving long-term shareholder value or if they are merely reactive measures to appease activist pressure at the expense of maintaining a more robust cash buffer.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying WT stock.
WisdomTree, Inc. (WT) generated $149.5M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
WisdomTree, Inc. (WT) generated $149.2M 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.
WisdomTree, Inc. (WT) spent $0.2M 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, WisdomTree, Inc. (WT) returned $17.3M to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $102.7M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.