Operating Cash Flow
Ciena Operating Cash Flow decreased by 38.7% to $227.65M in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 119.5%, from $103.72M to $227.65M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Operating Cash Flow shows an upward trend with a 10.5% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
Consistently high operating cash flow indicates a healthy, self-sustaining business capable of funding its own growth and returning capital to shareholders.
Detailed definition
Net cash from operating activities measures the total amount of cash generated by a company's core business operations....
Peer comparison
Investors often compare this to capital expenditures to calculate Free Cash Flow, a primary valuation metric for mature tech giants.
net_cash_from_operatingHistorical Data
| Q1 '21 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $224.98M | $69.10M | $254.89M | -$54.41M | $106.55M | -$205.39M | -$14.51M | -$265.64M | $229.81M | $8.69M | $195.47M | $266.08M | $58.47M | -$159.38M | $349.36M | $103.72M | $156.95M | $174.35M | $371.08M | $227.65M |
| QoQ Change | — | -69.3% | +268.9% | -121.3% | +295.8% | -292.8% | +92.9% | <-999% | +186.5% | -96.2% | >999% | +36.1% | -78.0% | -372.6% | +319.2% | -70.3% | +51.3% | +11.1% | +112.8% | -38.7% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -52.6% | -397.2% | -105.7% | -388.2% | +115.7% | +104.2% | >999% | +200.2% | -74.6% | <-999% | +78.7% | -61.0% | +168.4% | +209.4% | +6.2% | +119.5% |
Operating Cash Flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ciena's operating cash flow?
- Ciena (CIEN) reported operating cash flow of $227.65M in Q4 2025.
- How has Ciena's operating cash flow changed year-over-year?
- Ciena's operating cash flow increased by 119.5% year-over-year, from $103.72M to $227.65M.
- What is the long-term trend for Ciena's operating cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Ciena's operating cash flow has grown at a 10.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $541.65M to $806.09M.
- What does operating cash flow mean?
- The actual amount of cash a company brings in from its day-to-day business activities.