Free cash flow
S&P Global Free cash flow decreased by 40.7% to $1.01B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 11.0%, from $910.00M to $1.01B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Free cash flow shows an upward trend with a 11.2% 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 | $916.00M | $959.00M | $938.00M | $206.00M | $430.00M | $793.00M | $1.09B | $566.00M | $738.00M | $977.00M | $1.29B | $924.00M | $1.52B | $1.41B | $1.71B | $910.00M | $1.38B | $1.46B | $1.70B | $1.01B |
| QoQ Change | — | +4.7% | -2.2% | -78.0% | +108.7% | +84.4% | +36.8% | -47.8% | +30.4% | +32.4% | +31.6% | -28.1% | +64.9% | -7.5% | +21.1% | -46.7% | +52.1% | +5.5% | +16.6% | -40.7% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -53.1% | -17.3% | +15.7% | +174.8% | +71.6% | +23.2% | +18.5% | +63.3% | +106.5% | +44.3% | +32.7% | -1.5% | -9.2% | +3.5% | -0.3% | +11.0% |
Free cash flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is S&P Global's free cash flow?
- S&P Global (SPGI) reported free cash flow of $1.01B in Q1 2026.
- How has S&P Global's free cash flow changed year-over-year?
- S&P Global's free cash flow increased by 11.0% year-over-year, from $910.00M to $1.01B.
- What is the long-term trend for S&P Global's free cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), S&P Global's free cash flow has grown at a 11.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $3.56B to $5.46B.
- What does free cash flow mean?
- The cash a company has left over after paying for its operating expenses and capital investments.