Free cash flow
Cisco Systems, Inc. Free cash flow decreased by 46.7% to $1.54B in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 24.2%, from $2.03B to $1.54B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Free cash flow shows relatively stable performance with a -2.6% 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.
cf_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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $4.34B | $3.31B | $2.35B | $3.56B | $3.54B | $3.79B | $4.57B | $4.95B | $5.73B | $2.24B | $638.00M | $3.80B | $3.53B | $3.44B | $2.03B | $3.80B | $4.02B | $2.89B | $1.54B |
| QoQ Change | — | -23.9% | -28.9% | +51.2% | -0.5% | +7.0% | +20.7% | +8.3% | +15.8% | -61.0% | -71.5% | +496.1% | -7.1% | -2.5% | -41.0% | +86.9% | +5.8% | -28.1% | -46.7% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -18.5% | +14.6% | +94.3% | +39.2% | +62.0% | -40.9% | -86.0% | -23.2% | -38.4% | +54.0% | +218.3% | -0.2% | +13.7% | -16.1% | -24.2% |
Free cash flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Cisco Systems, Inc.'s free cash flow?
- Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) reported free cash flow of $1.54B in Q4 2025.
- How has Cisco Systems, Inc.'s free cash flow changed year-over-year?
- Cisco Systems, Inc.'s free cash flow decreased by 24.2% year-over-year, from $2.03B to $1.54B.
- What is the long-term trend for Cisco Systems, Inc.'s free cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Cisco Systems, Inc.'s free cash flow has grown at a -2.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $14.76B to $13.29B.
- What does free cash flow mean?
- The cash a company has left over after paying for its operating expenses and capital investments.