Free cash flow remains highly erratic, highlighted by a $130.2 million outflow in 2026Q1, which complicates the sustainability of aggressive capital allocation strategies like the $23.4 million in share repurchases seen in 2025Q4.
| 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 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 112.84M | 236.17M | 235.2M | 214.37M | 192.55M | 126.59M | -12.06M | 31.98M | -22.69M | 21.54M | 60.12M | 76.86M | 6.64M | 21.09M | 15.6M | 2.13M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 33.08% | 35.2% | 34.59% | 33.37% | 27.03% | -5.44% | 20.45% | -18.19% | 13.84% | 21.61% | 30.93% | 5.3% | 25.16% | 27.33% | 5.74% |
| Operating CF Growth % | -4888.07% | 0.41% | 9.72% | 11.33% | 52.11% | 1149.23% | -137.72% | 240.98% | -205.34% | -64.18% | -21.78% | 1056.6% | -68.5% | 35.22% | 632.64% | - |
| Net Income | 158.66M | 144.61M | 22.79M | -159.18M | -130.32M | 65K | -53.43M | -25.48M | -61.82M | -154.78M | -18.05M | 422K | -18.67M | -9.25M | -2.36M | -15.41M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 53.33M | 53.67M | 58.51M | 240.82M | 216.05M | 146.89M | 49.15M | 32.13M | 35.34M | 36.23M | 42.76M | 31.01M | 12.52M | 8.44M | 6.86M | 5.54M |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 55.44M | 76.65M | 76.52M | 72.62M | 64.12M | 40.73M | 28.49M | 18.82M | 16.28M | 20.5M | 28.69M | 30.58M | 23.85M | 6.35M | 3.04M | 2.27M |
| Deferred Taxes | -75.97M | -78.23M | 95K | -2.38M | -8.8M | -98.77M | 0 | -595K | -42K | -1.56M | -6.63M | -5.29M | -145K | -6.29M | -20K | -26K |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -24.69M | 11.15M | 662K | -12.97M | 11.07M | 5.79M | 73.85M | 1.17M | -308K | 96.31M | 22.57M | 292K | 237K | 10.47M | 290K | 2K |
| Working Capital Changes | -53.93M | 28.32M | 76.63M | 75.47M | 40.44M | 31.89M | -110.12M | 5.94M | -12.13M | 24.85M | -9.21M | 19.83M | -11.14M | 11.37M | 7.79M | 9.76M |
| Change in Receivables | -380.93M | -103.76M | -26.02M | -220.1M | -46.33M | -254.37M | -103.84M | -10.71M | -40.69M | 26.05M | 25.84M | -71.8M | -38.02M | -27.1M | -26.34M | -8.02M |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -26.61M | -224K | -3.04M | -1.07M | -2.15M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | 329.96M | 142.6M | 97.38M | 294.68M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26.61M | -502K | -32.97M | 93.14M | 29.86M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -88.69M | -92.77M | -47.5M | -37.38M | -65.15M | -691M | 32.64M | -23.39M | 27.95M | -93.21M | -37.12M | -72.86M | -23.12M | -11.86M | -9.03M | -8.14M |
| Capital Expenditures | -72.9M | -70.53M | -32.81M | -37.38M | -30.82M | -17.7M | -14.29M | -11.43M | -19.94M | -40.43M | -33.4M | -28.44M | -19.48M | -10.71M | -6.74M | -6.85M |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 10.09% | 9.88% | 4.91% | 6.03% | 5.34% | 3.78% | 6.45% | 7.3% | 15.99% | 25.99% | 12.01% | 11.44% | 15.55% | 12.78% | 11.81% | 18.49% |
| Acquisitions | -8.1M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -20.75M | -661.87M | 54.59M | -11M | 8.51M | -38.61M | -238K | -8.65M | -3.98M | 0 | -1.74M | -1.29M |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | -7.69M | -22.23M | -14.69M | 0 | -13.58M | -11.43M | -7.67M | -8.46M | -8.51M | -22.16M | 259K | 1.02M | 345K | -1.15M | -550K | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | -270.71M | -75.08M | -28.9M | -177.84M | -30.17M | 678.05M | 7.35M | -205K | -1.28M | -1.38M | 10.08M | 15.47M | 83.79M | -796K | -1.4M | 1.33M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | -208.7M | -2.88M | 8.53M | -169.39M | -4.41M | 746.75M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -105K | -4.08M | -1.17M | -1.52M | 1.12M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -39.6M | -39.28M | -14.57M | 5.68M | -15.66M | -6.01M | -7.85M | 0 | 0 | 629K | 0 | 2.04M | 89.73M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -41.55M | -46.28M | -14.57M | 0 | -15.66M | -6.01M | -7.85M | 0 | -1.64M | 0 | -6.06M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -22.41M | -32.92M | -22.86M | -14.13M | -10.1M | -62.7M | 15.21M | -205K | -1.28M | -2.01M | 10.08M | 13.53M | -1.86M | 370K | 125K | 205K |
| Net Change in Cash | -245.06M | 70.14M | 157M | -283K | 95.81M | 112.96M | 28.84M | 8.44M | 3.81M | -72.86M | 32.92M | 19.3M | 67.24M | 8.34M | 5.36M | -4.62M |
| Free Cash Flow | 43.74M | 165.63M | 202.39M | 187.6M | 148.15M | 97.46M | -26.36M | 12.1M | -42.63M | -18.89M | 26.72M | 48.42M | -12.84M | 10.38M | 8.86M | -4.72M |
| FCF Margin % | 6.05% | 23.2% | 30.29% | 30.27% | 25.67% | 20.81% | -11.89% | 7.73% | -34.19% | -12.14% | 9.6% | 19.49% | -10.25% | 12.38% | 15.52% | -12.74% |
| FCF Growth % | -82.6% | -18.16% | 7.88% | 26.63% | 52.01% | 469.77% | -317.92% | 128.37% | -125.64% | -170.7% | -44.82% | 477.1% | -223.69% | 17.18% | 287.61% | - |
| FCF per Share | 0.30 | 1.08 | 1.38 | 1.37 | 1.11 | 0.72 | -0.27 | 0.23 | -0.85 | -0.39 | 0.57 | 1.09 | -0.46 | 0.30 | 0.34 | -0.18 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.28x | 1.63x | 10.32x | -1.35x | -1.48x | 1947.52x | 0.23x | -1.26x | 0.37x | -0.14x | -3.33x | 182.12x | -0.36x | -2.28x | -6.60x | -0.14x |
| Interest Paid | 14.99M | 0 | 36.86M | 0 | 26.32M | 12.91M | 101K | 61K | 46K | 61K | 61K | 62K | 122K | 241K | 303K | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 1.47M | 0 | 3.87M | 0 | 4.93M | 2.14M | 0 | 291K | 379K | 382K | 1.28M | 1.07M | 403K | 307K | 13K | 0 |
Working capital volatility
According to recent financial statements, Magnite's operating cash flow frequently decouples from net income, as evidenced by the 2024Q2 period where the company reported a $1.1 million net loss while simultaneously generating $89.6 million in operating cash flow, highlighting significant non-cash and working capital distortions.
The wide variance between net income and operating cash flow suggests that GAAP earnings are a poor proxy for the company's actual liquidity generation. Investors should monitor the persistent reliance on non-cash adjustments, which may indicate that reported profitability is highly sensitive to accounting accruals rather than pure operational efficiency.
As reported in quarterly filings, Magnite's free cash flow trajectory remains highly erratic, swinging from a peak of $108.3 million in 2024Q4 to a significant outflow of $130.2 million in 2026Q1, reflecting the cyclical nature of the firm's underlying advertising-driven business model.
This extreme volatility in free cash flow suggests that the company lacks the predictable cash generation profile typical of mature infrastructure providers. The inability to maintain consistent positive free cash flow may indicate that the business remains vulnerable to seasonal advertising spend fluctuations and high operational overhead.
Based on the provided cash flow data, working capital changes are a primary driver of liquidity, with a massive $156.4 million outflow in 2026Q1 alone, which significantly offset the company's ability to retain cash from its core programmatic advertising operations during that specific quarter.
The dramatic shifts in working capital suggest that Magnite's cash position is heavily dependent on the timing of publisher payments and advertiser collections. Such instability warrants further investigation into whether these swings are purely seasonal or indicative of structural inefficiencies in the company's accounts receivable and payable cycles.
As detailed in recent SEC filings, Magnite continues to prioritize share repurchases, such as the $23.4 million deployed in 2025Q4, even during periods of inconsistent cash flow, which may suggest a management focus on supporting equity valuation over building a more robust cash buffer.
The decision to return capital to shareholders while simultaneously experiencing significant quarterly cash outflows appears to be a high-risk strategy. Investors should monitor whether this capital allocation approach limits the company's flexibility to invest in organic growth or manage potential debt obligations in a tightening credit environment.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying MGNI stock.
Magnite, Inc. (MGNI) generated $236.2M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Magnite, Inc. (MGNI) generated $165.6M 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.
Magnite, Inc. (MGNI) spent $70.5M 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, Magnite, Inc. (MGNI) spent $46.3M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.