Cash Flow Statement
Quarterly Data
The cash flow statement provides information about a company cash receipts and cash payments during an accounting period, showing how these cash flows link the ending cash balance to the beginning balance shown on the company balance sheet.
The cash flow statement consists of three parts: cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities, and cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities.
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-09-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-06-11), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-03-19), 10-K (reporting date: 2015-12-26), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-09-05), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-06-13), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-03-21), 10-K (reporting date: 2014-12-27), 10-Q (reporting date: 2014-09-06), 10-Q (reporting date: 2014-06-14), 10-Q (reporting date: 2014-03-22), 10-K (reporting date: 2013-12-28), 10-Q (reporting date: 2013-09-07), 10-Q (reporting date: 2013-06-15), 10-Q (reporting date: 2013-03-23), 10-K (reporting date: 2012-12-29), 10-Q (reporting date: 2012-09-08), 10-Q (reporting date: 2012-06-16), 10-Q (reporting date: 2012-03-24), 10-K (reporting date: 2011-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2011-09-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2011-06-11), 10-Q (reporting date: 2011-03-19).
Operational cash flow remains consistently positive throughout the analyzed period, demonstrating a robust ability to generate liquidity from core business activities. While net income exhibits volatility—notably a significant contraction in the fourth quarter of 2014—the net cash provided by operating activities typically exceeds net income, supported by consistent depreciation and amortization charges and fluctuating working capital adjustments. A recurring pattern of seasonal peaks in operating cash flow is observed, particularly in the third quarters of several years.
- Operating Cash Flow and Earnings Quality
- Net income shows periodic instability, with a notable low of -119 million in December 2014, yet operating cash flow remains resilient, peaking at 894 million in September 2012 and 870 million in September 2015. Non-cash charges, specifically closures and impairment expenses, introduced significant volatility, with substantial spikes of 300 million in September 2013 and 505 million in December 2014, which impacted reported earnings but did not deplete cash reserves.
- Investment Strategy and Capital Allocation
- Capital spending is sustained at a high level, generally ranging between 160 million and 421 million per quarter, reflecting a continuous commitment to infrastructure and growth. This expenditure is partially offset by proceeds from the refranchising of restaurants, which served as a consistent source of cash inflows, peaking at 177 million in December 2012 and 174 million in December 2015. Investing activities remained net negative across nearly all quarters, indicating a long-term investment phase.
- Shareholder Distributions and Capital Returns
- A disciplined and gradual increase in dividend payments is evident, rising from approximately 116 million per quarter in 2011 to 180 million by September 2016. More aggressively, the repurchase of common stock escalated significantly over time. While buybacks typically ranged between 80 million and 400 million per quarter for much of the period, a massive surge occurred in the final quarter ending September 3, 2016, reaching 2,093 million.
- Financing and Debt Dynamics
- For the majority of the observed period, financing activities resulted in net cash outflows, primarily driven by share repurchases and dividend payments. However, a strategic shift in debt procurement is observed in mid-2016, with substantial proceeds from long-term debt totaling 2,300 million in June 2016 and 4,600 million in September 2016. This influx of debt provided the necessary liquidity to fund the accelerated share repurchase program and resulted in a net increase in cash and cash equivalents of 2,090 million in the final reported quarter.
AI Ask an analyst for more
Hi, I’m an AI-powered financial analyst at Stock Analysis on Net.
How can I help you?