Free cash flow margins have shown a volatile recovery to 38.5% in 2026Q1, though capital intensity remains a concern with CapEx to revenue still at 16.1% to offset natural production declines.
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 | Dec'98 | Jun'97 | Jun'96 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 5.87B | 4.58B | 1.56B | 2.38B | 4.13B | 1.79B | 1.16B | 1.62B | 1.73B | 745M | -204M | 726M | 4.63B | 4.61B | 2.84B | 5.9B | 5.12B | 4.36B | 5.24B | 4.93B | 4.84B | 2.41B | 1.45B | 938.91M | 432.53M | 553.74M | 314.64M | 145.02M | 314.64M | 84.1M | 120.97M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 39.28% | 37.08% | 30.61% | 36.05% | 24.49% | 22.34% | 19.12% | 16.91% | 7.85% | -2.59% | 5.69% | 20.04% | 24.18% | 23.04% | 50.73% | 54.63% | 56.56% | 45.03% | 63.23% | 66.11% | 51.59% | 53.47% | 54.67% | 58.57% | 57.14% | 50.11% | 40.86% | 50.11% | 31.25% | 83.09% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 986.4% | 192.33% | -34.24% | -42.3% | 130.7% | 53.61% | -28.28% | -6.19% | 132.21% | 465.2% | -128.1% | -84.33% | 0.43% | 62.64% | -51.94% | 15.36% | 17.47% | -16.81% | 6.16% | 1.83% | 101.23% | 66.16% | 54.28% | 117.07% | -21.89% | 75.99% | 116.96% | -53.91% | 274.13% | -30.48% | 121.03% |
| Net Income | 3.23B | 1.82B | -714M | 2.42B | 4.94B | 6.33B | -9.75B | -308M | 225M | 939M | -4.39B | -14.69B | 1.44B | 645M | -769M | 1.74B | 1.77B | -5.83B | 656M | 1.32B | 1.99B | 921.43M | 515.15M | 312.98M | 40.29M | 217.41M | 455.57M | 33.27M | 455.57M | -176.8M | 23.36M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 2.98B | 2.98B | 1.73B | 0 | 0 | 995M | 0 | 0 | 1.83B | 995M | 1.11B | 2.23B | 2.92B | 2.9B | 2.81B | 1.92B | 1.61B | 1.61B | 2.15B | 1.99B | 1.46B | 945M | 611.32M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 107.3M | 0 |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 35M | 46M | 38M | 33M | 22M | 0 | 21M | 30M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 804M | 448M | -123M | 428M | -1.33B | -106M | -10M | -305M | -10M | 11M | -171M | -4.43B | 1.1B | 526M | -427M | 1.11B | 1.11B | -3.49B | 40M | 835M | 1.25B | 544.89M | 289.53M | 186.66M | 28.68M | 138.83M | -259.41M | 1.76M | 0 | -3.6M | 12.85M |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -1.14B | -433M | 950M | -775M | 622M | -6.24B | 9.99B | 2.46B | -409M | -729M | 4.01B | 18.64B | -310M | 882M | 2.44B | 534M | 50M | 12.04B | 2.33B | 460M | -661.79M | 14.57M | 2.79M | 397.59M | 343.56M | 162.33M | 109.64M | 103.7M | -149.77M | 234.3M | 52.22M |
| Working Capital Changes | -34M | -285M | -315M | 275M | -123M | 814M | 915M | -254M | 91M | -471M | -761M | -1.03B | -512M | -342M | -1.22B | 594M | 569M | 23M | 58M | 325M | 798M | -19M | 29.75M | 41.67M | 20.01M | 35.17M | 8.84M | 6.29M | 8.84M | -77.1M | 32.54M |
| Change in Receivables | 0 | -370M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 376M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5M | -68M | -530M | -769M | 0 | -78M | -192M | -21.63M | -204.86M | -152.59M | -72.68M | -44.97M | 34.27M | -66.71M | 17.59M | -66.71M | -20M | -3.52M |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -126.54M | -66.98M | -9.48M | -10.97M | 11.33M | 929K | 4.3M | 4.36M | 1.42M | -1.5M | 78K |
| Change in Payables | 0 | -68M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -347M | -1.15B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.02B | 92.22M | 97.64M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -2.85B | -2.76B | -1.9B | 473M | -3.4B | -916M | -992M | -2.48B | 455M | -1.19B | -660M | -3.65B | 417M | -2.97B | -4.98B | -5.81B | -8.5B | -5.46B | -9.84B | -7.92B | -8.94B | -6.92B | -3.38B | -2.08B | -779.75M | -670.11M | -325.23M | -153.91M | -330.04M | -523.9M | -344.39M |
| Capital Expenditures | -3.01B | -2.74B | -1.56B | -1.83B | -1.82B | -735M | -1.14B | -2.26B | -2B | -2.22B | -2.12B | -3.77B | -6.62B | -7.61B | -14.74B | -14.45B | -13.51B | -7.52B | -17.65B | -6.74B | -4.77B | -6.82B | -1.43B | -2.06B | -768.94M | -459.97M | -202.21M | -154.45M | -202.21M | -502.4M | -350.89M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 21.33% | 23.49% | 36.89% | 23.52% | 15.93% | 10.07% | 21.92% | 26.66% | 19.52% | 23.4% | 26.93% | 29.54% | 28.62% | 39.87% | 119.7% | 124.19% | 144.28% | 97.69% | 151.77% | 86.46% | 65.05% | 146.12% | 52.64% | 120.02% | 104.12% | 47.47% | 32.2% | 43.51% | 32.2% | 186.7% | 241.01% |
| Acquisitions | 51M | 0 | -459M | 2.53B | -1.97B | -181M | 150M | -353M | 2.38B | 1.3B | 1.54B | 135M | 6.82B | 4.39B | 0 | -339M | 0 | 176M | 219M | -2.37B | -3.76B | -35M | -1.9B | -1.26B | -331.65M | -173.84M | -78.91M | -49.89M | -78.91M | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 113M | -9M | 187M | 0 | 407M | 0 | 0 | 136M | 0 | -270M | -77M | -9M | -20M | 181M | 8.15B | 8.88B | 5.14B | 1.93B | 6.08B | -15M | -21.06M | 65.19M | -16.26M | 1.28B | 323.25M | 3.94M | -18.73M | 51.16M | -12.23M | -18.45M | 6.87M |
| Cash from Financing | -1.14B | -1.51B | -419M | -1.89B | -1.45B | -237M | 101M | 859M | -2.19B | -434M | 921M | -1.07B | -1.82B | -1.1B | 2.08B | 158M | 3.18B | -336M | 6.36B | 2.99B | 4.04B | 4.57B | 1.9B | 931.25M | 477.26M | 234.51M | -27.74M | 13.1M | -22.93M | 512.1M | 219.52M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -227M | -663M | -20M | -1.05B | 829M | -719M | 245M | 986M | -1.94B | -226M | 952M | -508M | 110M | 65M | 1.65B | -2.36B | 347M | -651M | 3.81B | 3.35B | 1.84B | 2.27B | 960.26M | 407.38M | 327.83M | 97.25M | -18.5M | 18.5M | -18.5M | 223M | 118.03M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -97M | -76M | 3M | -355M | -1.07B | 602M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -212M | 0 | 0 | 2.56B | -3M | 2.52B | 15M | 2.3B | 2.34B | 941.11M | 565.68M | 164.1M | 145.08M | -29.96M | -53K | -29.96M | 289.5M | 99.5M |
| Dividends Paid | -764M | -765M | -388M | -487M | -1.21B | -119M | -22M | -91M | -92M | -183M | 0 | -289M | -405M | -404M | -398M | -379M | -281M | -204M | -183M | -210M | -175.43M | -92.01M | -79.81M | -48.17M | -15.16M | -1.09M | -4.64M | 0 | -4.64M | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -166M | -100M | 0 | -355M | -1.07B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7M | -5M | 0 | -86.19M | -4M | 0 | -2.11M | 0 | -10K | -29.96M | -53K | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -51M | -11M | -14M | 0 | 10M | -1M | -122M | -36M | -155M | -25M | -31M | -269M | -1.52B | -546M | 828M | 2.9B | 553M | 522M | 206M | -172M | 71.13M | 49.53M | 77.4M | 6.36M | 487K | -6.73M | 25.37M | -5.34M | 30.17M | -400K | 1.99M |
| Net Change in Cash | 1.88B | 301M | -758M | 961M | -722M | 635M | 273M | 2M | -1M | -877M | 57M | -3.32B | 3.23B | 550M | -64M | 249M | -205M | -1.44B | 1.75B | -2M | -57.51M | 53.13M | -33.69M | -207.06M | 130.04M | 117.59M | -38.66M | 9.14M | -38.66M | -51.6M | -3.9M |
| Free Cash Flow | 2.86B | 1.84B | 8M | 551M | 2.3B | 1.05B | 22M | -640M | -267M | -1.75B | -2.32B | -3.04B | -1.98B | -2.99B | -2.98B | -1.08B | -3.15B | 375M | -6.31B | 3.49B | 3.86B | -2.04B | 22.41M | -1.12B | -336.41M | 93.77M | 112.44M | -9.43M | 112.44M | -418.3M | -229.92M |
| FCF Margin % | 20.32% | 15.79% | 0.19% | 7.09% | 20.12% | 14.42% | 0.42% | -7.54% | -2.61% | -18.4% | -29.52% | -23.86% | -8.58% | -15.69% | -24.16% | -9.28% | -33.67% | 4.87% | -54.25% | 44.78% | 52.65% | -43.68% | 0.83% | -65.35% | -45.55% | 9.68% | 17.9% | -2.66% | 17.9% | -155.44% | -157.92% |
| FCF Growth % | 605.42% | 22887.5% | -98.55% | -76.06% | 118.61% | 4686.36% | 103.44% | -139.7% | 84.72% | 24.83% | 23.68% | -53.48% | 33.73% | -0.64% | -175.46% | 65.76% | -941.07% | 105.94% | -280.62% | -9.44% | 289.28% | -9191.7% | 102% | -233.6% | -458.76% | -16.6% | 1292.56% | -108.39% | 126.88% | -81.93% | -223.7% |
| FCF per Share | 11.90 | 7.65 | 0.05 | 3.85 | 15.77 | 8.93 | 2.25 | -76.88 | -58.75 | -385.65 | -608.38 | -919.94 | -513.99 | -917.00 | -925.35 | -287.23 | -893.48 | 122.55 | -2315.23 | 1434.50 | 1682.11 | -1111.48 | 14.66 | -868.07 | -389.56 | 107.79 | 148.37 | -18.48 | 148.37 | -23.64 | -6.39 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.89x | 2.52x | -2.19x | 0.98x | 0.84x | 0.28x | -0.12x | -5.27x | 7.65x | -1.48x | 0.05x | -0.05x | 2.42x | 6.37x | -3.69x | 3.39x | 2.88x | -0.75x | 8.67x | 3.40x | 2.42x | 2.54x | 2.81x | 3.00x | 10.74x | 2.55x | 0.69x | 4.36x | 0.69x | -0.46x | 5.18x |
| Interest Paid | 19M | 0 | 0 | 117M | 146M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 667M | 344M | 235M | 96M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 82M | 0 | 0 | 132M | 193M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16M | -27M | 44M | 10M | 26M | 44M | 25M | 0 | 7M | 296M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Midstream contract liability exposure
As reported in recent financial statements, the relationship between net income and operating cash flow is highly erratic, with the OCF/NI ratio swinging from -4.40 in 2025Q1 to 2.07 in 2026Q1, suggesting that reported earnings are frequently decoupled from actual cash generation capabilities.
The significant divergence between net income and operating cash flow appears to be driven by non-cash charges and derivative adjustments that obscure the underlying operational performance. Investors should monitor this disconnect, as it suggests that net income may not be a reliable proxy for the company's ability to fund its capital-intensive operations.
Based on the company's reported figures, free cash flow margins have shown a volatile recovery, reaching 38.5% in 2026Q1 after dipping into negative territory during 2024, which indicates that the firm is finally beginning to capture the scale benefits of its recent massive asset consolidation.
The trajectory of free cash flow suggests that the company is moving past the initial cash-burning phase of the Southwestern Energy integration. However, the sustainability of these margins remains uncertain given the cyclical nature of natural gas prices and the potential for future capital expenditure requirements to maintain production levels.
According to quarterly data, the company's capital expenditure intensity, measured as CapEx to revenue, peaked at 60.0% in 2024Q2 and remains significant at 16.1% in 2026Q1, highlighting the constant reinvestment required to offset natural decline rates across its extensive 5,000-well portfolio.
The high level of capital spending suggests that a substantial portion of operating cash flow is effectively committed to maintenance rather than growth. This capital intensity warrants further investigation to determine if the company can achieve long-term production stability without further increasing its debt burden or diluting shareholder value.
As indicated by the cash flow statements, working capital changes have been highly inconsistent, ranging from a $321 million inflow in 2025Q2 to a $427 million outflow in 2025Q4, which suggests that the company's cash position is susceptible to timing differences in collections and payables.
These fluctuations in working capital appear to reflect the complexities of integrating large-scale operations and managing midstream contract obligations. Investors should monitor whether these swings represent temporary timing issues or a more permanent inefficiency in the company's cash conversion cycle.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying EXEEW stock.
Expand Energy Corporation (EXEEW) generated $4.58B in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Expand Energy Corporation (EXEEW) generated $1.84B in free cash flow in 2025. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
Expand Energy Corporation (EXEEW) spent $2.74B on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2025, Expand Energy Corporation (EXEEW) returned $765.0M to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $100.0M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.