Unlevered free cash flow (FCF) is a measure of how much cash is available to repay debt and reinvest in the business after accounting for capital expenditures. In other words, it’s an indication of how profitable a firm is and how much cash it has left over after accounting for its fixed costs.

FCF is typically calculated as follows: The unlevered free cash flow of a company is the same as its FCF except that rather than the common equity ratio, we use the leverage ratio as the second term in the equation.

With this adjustment, we are able to see whether or not a company can meet its obligations given its current amount of debt. If a company has negative FCF but high earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), that means that although it has a lot of debt, it also has high returns on capital. A low levered FCF indicates that there may be trouble ahead unless management reduces debt or increases EBIT through better efficiency or expansion into new markets.

How to Calculate Unlevered Free Cash Flow

Unlevered free cash flow can be calculated by taking the company’s cash flow from operations (also known as cash flow from operations) and subtracting the principal payments that have to be paid on debt. Unlevered free cash flow = cash flow from operations – principal payment on debt Cash flow from operations is the amount of cash generated by a company over a given period. To find the principal payment on debt, you’ll need to look up the company’s outstanding debt obligations in its most recent 10-K or 10-Q filings.

Unlevered Net Cash

We can determine net cash by subtracting the debt of a company from its cash. We can then use this to see how it compares to the total debt. A high net cash percentage indicates that a company has enough cash to cover its debt obligations. Net cash = cash – debt The higher this value is, the better, since it means the company has more cash than debt. A low net cash percentage indicates that a company may have trouble meeting its debt obligations.

Unlevered Cash and Marketable Securities

Cash and marketable securities are the two most liquid sources of funding for a company. They are often used to meet the principal payments on a firm’s debt. Cash and marketable securities = cash + marketable securities The more cash and marketable securities a company has, the more likely it is able to make its debt payments. A low amount of cash and marketable securities can make it hard for a company to make its debt payments.

Unlevered Free Cash Flow

Unlevered free cash flow is the amount of cash flow from operations after adjusting for cash and marketable securities used to pay down debt. Unlevered free cash flow = cash flow from operations – principal payment on debt + cash – marketable securities used to pay down debt Cash flow from operations is the amount of cash generated by a company over a given period. Principal payments on debt are the amount of money that must be paid toward any outstanding debt.

Is FCF a Good Measure of Company Health?

Yes, it can be a very good indicator of a company’s financial health. It’s important to remember, though, that it only shows how profitable a company was in the past. It doesn’t indicate how profitable the company will be in the future. If a company has a low FCF, it may indicate that the company has too much debt or that it has inefficient operations that are not bringing in enough cash. If a company has a high FCF, it may indicate that the company has a lot of cash on hand or that it has efficient operations that bring in a lot of cash.

Limitations of Unlevered Free Cash Flow

Unlevered free cash flow is a useful metric for comparing different companies in the same industry. However, there are some limitations that investors should keep in mind. First, FCF does not take into account a company’s debt repayment schedule. If a firm is repaying a lot of debt in the current period, its FCF will be reduced. This might give an inaccurate picture of the company’s financial health.

Second, FCF doesn’t take into account a company’s capital expenditures. If a company is investing a lot in new assets, its FCF will be reduced. This, again, may give an inaccurate picture of the company’s financial health.

Third, FCF doesn’t account for the cash flow generated by a company’s operations in other countries.

What Does Unlevered Free Cash Flow Tell Us?

Unlevered free cash flow is an indicator of how profitable a company is. If a firm has a high amount of FCF, it indicates that the company is making a lot of money. If a firm has a low amount of FCF, it indicates that the company is not making a lot of money. FCF can also indicate the amount of cash a company has available to pay down debt. If a company has high FCF, it has a lot of cash on hand that can be used to pay down debt. If a company has low FCF, it does not have a lot of cash on hand that can be used to pay down debt.

Key Takeaways

The unlevered free cash flow of a company is the same as its FCF except that rather than the common equity ratio, we use the leverage ratio as the second term in the equation. With this adjustment, we are able to see whether or not a company can meet its obligations given its current amount of debt. If a company has negative FCF but high earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), that means that although it has a lot of debt, it also has high returns on capital.

A low levered FCF indicates that there may be trouble ahead unless management reduces debt or increases EBIT through better efficiency or expansion into new markets. Unlevered free cash flow is a company cash flow metric that is used to determine the amount of cash available after accounting for principal payments on debt and reinvestment in plant and equipment. It is commonly used when calculating a company’s financial health.