Operating Cash Flow
International Business Machines Operating Cash Flow increased by 27.9% to $5.17B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 18.3%, from $4.37B to $5.17B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Operating Cash Flow shows relatively stable performance with a 0.8% CAGR. This is a positive signal — higher values indicate stronger performance for this metric.
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
| 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 | $2.63B | $2.71B | $2.54B | $3.25B | $1.32B | $1.90B | $3.97B | $3.77B | $2.64B | $3.06B | $4.46B | $4.17B | $2.07B | $2.88B | $4.33B | $4.37B | $1.70B | $3.08B | $4.04B | $5.17B |
| QoQ Change | — | +3.4% | -6.2% | +27.7% | -59.3% | +43.9% | +108.6% | -4.8% | -30.1% | +15.8% | +46.0% | -6.6% | -50.4% | +39.4% | +50.3% | +0.9% | -61.1% | +81.2% | +31.1% | +27.9% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -49.7% | -29.9% | +55.9% | +16.2% | +99.7% | +60.8% | +12.6% | +10.4% | -21.7% | -5.7% | -3.0% | +4.8% | -17.7% | +7.0% | -6.7% | +18.3% |
Operating Cash Flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is International Business Machines's operating cash flow?
- International Business Machines (IBM) reported operating cash flow of $5.17B in Q1 2026.
- How has International Business Machines's operating cash flow changed year-over-year?
- International Business Machines's operating cash flow increased by 18.3% year-over-year, from $4.37B to $5.17B.
- What is the long-term trend for International Business Machines's operating cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), International Business Machines's operating cash flow has grown at a 0.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $12.80B to $13.19B.
- What does operating cash flow mean?
- The actual amount of cash a company brings in from its day-to-day business activities.