Free cash flow
Northrop Grumman Free cash flow decreased by 156.4% to -$1.82B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 0.1%, from -$1.82B to -$1.82B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Free cash flow shows an upward trend with a 11.3% 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 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $798.00M | $916.00M | $709.00M | -$732.00M | -$460.00M | $1.04B | $1.62B | -$1.01B | $615.00M | $869.00M | $1.63B | -$976.00M | $1.11B | $730.00M | $1.76B | -$1.82B | $637.00M | $1.26B | $3.24B | -$1.82B |
| QoQ Change | — | +14.8% | -22.6% | -203.2% | +37.2% | +325.9% | +55.8% | -162.4% | +160.8% | +41.3% | +87.2% | -160.0% | +213.2% | -33.9% | +141.4% | -203.3% | +135.0% | +97.2% | +157.6% | -156.4% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -157.6% | +13.4% | +128.3% | -38.1% | +233.7% | -16.4% | +0.5% | +3.5% | +79.7% | -16.0% | +8.3% | -86.6% | -42.4% | +72.1% | +83.6% | -0.1% |
Free cash flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Northrop Grumman's free cash flow?
- Northrop Grumman (NOC) reported free cash flow of -$1.82B in Q1 2026.
- How has Northrop Grumman's free cash flow changed year-over-year?
- Northrop Grumman's free cash flow decreased by 0.1% year-over-year, from -$1.82B to -$1.82B.
- What is the long-term trend for Northrop Grumman's free cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Northrop Grumman's free cash flow has grown at a 11.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $2.15B to $3.31B.
- What does free cash flow mean?
- The cash a company has left over after paying for its operating expenses and capital investments.