Free cash flow
Celestica Free cash flow decreased by 18.7% to $126.80M in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 35.5%, from $93.60M to $126.80M. Over 3 years (FY 2022 to FY 2025), Free cash flow shows an upward trend with a 65.0% 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
| 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 | $25.53M | $25.53M | $25.53M | $25.53M | $50.28M | $50.28M | $50.28M | $50.28M | $67.70M | $62.70M | $76.80M | $95.80M | $93.60M | $119.90M | $88.90M | $155.90M | $126.80M |
| QoQ Change | — | +0.0% | +0.0% | +0.0% | +97.0% | +0.0% | +0.0% | +0.0% | +34.7% | -7.4% | +22.5% | +24.7% | -2.3% | +28.1% | -25.9% | +75.4% | -18.7% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +97.0% | +97.0% | +97.0% | +97.0% | +34.7% | +24.7% | +52.8% | +90.6% | +38.3% | +91.2% | +15.8% | +62.7% | +35.5% |
Free cash flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Celestica's free cash flow?
- Celestica (CLS) reported free cash flow of $126.80M in Q1 2026.
- How has Celestica's free cash flow changed year-over-year?
- Celestica's free cash flow increased by 35.5% year-over-year, from $93.60M to $126.80M.
- What is the long-term trend for Celestica's free cash flow?
- Over 3 years (2022 to 2025), Celestica's free cash flow has grown at a 65.0% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $102.10M to $458.30M.
- What does free cash flow mean?
- The cash a company has left over after paying for its operating expenses and capital investments.