Operating

Operating Cash Flow

General Dynamics Operating Cash Flow increased by 38.1% to $2.16B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 1556.1%, from -$148.00M to $2.16B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Operating Cash Flow shows an upward trend with a 4.6% CAGR. This is a positive signal — higher values indicate stronger performance for this metric.

Analysis

StatementCash Flow Statement
SectionOperating
CategoryEfficiency
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ4 2013
Last reportedQ4 2025

How to read this metric

An increase indicates strong operational efficiency and cash generation, while a decrease may signal operational challenges or issues with working capital management.

Detailed definition

This metric represents the total cash generated or consumed by a company's core business operations during a specific pe...

Peer comparison

Standard across all industries; peers in the medical device and diagnostics sector typically maintain high conversion ratios of net income to operating cash flow.

Metric ID: net_cash_from_operating

Historical Data

20 periods
 Q2 '21Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q4 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q4 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Value$1.12B$1.47B$1.68B$1.97B$659.00M$1.28B$669.00M$1.46B$731.00M$1.32B$1.20B-$278.00M$814.00M$1.42B$2.16B-$148.00M$1.60B$2.11B$1.56B$2.16B
QoQ Change+31.9%+14.3%+17.0%-66.5%+94.7%-47.9%+118.5%-50.0%+80.7%-9.5%-123.2%+392.8%+74.0%+52.5%-106.9%>999%+32.0%-26.0%+38.1%
YoY Change-40.9%-12.8%-60.2%-25.7%+10.9%+3.0%+78.8%-119.0%+11.4%+7.2%+80.6%+46.8%+96.3%+48.9%-27.7%>999%
Range-$278.00M$2.16B
CAGR+14.9%
Avg YoY Growth+103.3%
Median YoY Growth+9.1%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is General Dynamics's operating cash flow?
General Dynamics (GD) reported operating cash flow of $2.16B in Q1 2026.
How has General Dynamics's operating cash flow changed year-over-year?
General Dynamics's operating cash flow increased by 1556.1% year-over-year, from -$148.00M to $2.16B.
What is the long-term trend for General Dynamics's operating cash flow?
Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), General Dynamics's operating cash flow has grown at a 4.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $4.27B to $5.12B.
What does operating cash flow mean?
The amount of cash a company generates from its regular business activities.