Free cash flow
Ametek Free cash flow decreased by 19.2% to $426.05M in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 8.0%, from $394.48M to $426.05M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Free cash flow shows an upward trend with a 12.3% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
An increase suggests strong operational efficiency and the ability to self-fund future innovation or return capital to shareholders, while a decrease may indicate heavy capital expenditure cycles or declining operational profitability.
Detailed definition
Free cash flow represents the cash generated by a company after accounting for cash outflows to support operations and m...
Peer comparison
High-growth semiconductor and AI infrastructure peers typically prioritize reinvestment, so free cash flow margins are often compared against R&D intensity and capital expenditure requirements of industry rivals.
free_cash_flowHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $263.57M | $280.89M | $238.46M | $174.95M | $209.75M | $298.83M | $326.84M | $366.53M | $307.42M | $444.19M | $480.91M | $382.58M | $360.02M | $460.89M | $498.29M | $394.48M | $329.82M | $419.95M | $527.27M | $426.05M |
| QoQ Change | — | +6.6% | -15.1% | -26.6% | +19.9% | +42.5% | +9.4% | +12.1% | -16.1% | +44.5% | +8.3% | -20.4% | -5.9% | +28.0% | +8.1% | -20.8% | -16.4% | +27.3% | +25.6% | -19.2% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -20.4% | +6.4% | +37.1% | +109.5% | +46.6% | +48.6% | +47.1% | +4.4% | +17.1% | +3.8% | +3.6% | +3.1% | -8.4% | -8.9% | +5.8% | +8.0% |
Free cash flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ametek's free cash flow?
- Ametek (AME) reported free cash flow of $426.05M in Q1 2026.
- How has Ametek's free cash flow changed year-over-year?
- Ametek's free cash flow increased by 8.0% year-over-year, from $394.48M to $426.05M.
- What is the long-term trend for Ametek's free cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Ametek's free cash flow has grown at a 12.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $1.05B to $1.67B.
- What does free cash flow mean?
- The cash a company has left over after paying for its operating expenses and capital investments.