Cash generation remains highly volatile, evidenced by an OCF/NI ratio that swung from a 3.98 peak in 2025Q1 to a negative 2.87 in 2023Q4, complicating consistent capital allocation.
| Metric | TTM | Jan'26 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Jan'22 | Jan'21 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Jan'15 | Dec'13 | Feb'13 | Dec'11 | Jan'11 | Jan'10 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Jan'05 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Oct'99 | Oct'98 | Oct'97 | Oct'96 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 4.97M | 18.96M | 6.17M | 12.48M | 28.44M | 915K | 25.2M | -4.78M | -64K | 5.07M | 11.63M | 12.48M | 4.18M | -3.79M | 3.56M | 6.47M | 13.34M | 16.39M | -4.81M | 8.61M | 5.6M | 3.6M | -424.33K | 2.89M | 30.51M | 29.91M | 26.71M | -3.8M | -2.2M | -3.8M | -1.9M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 5.94% | 2.22% | 4.74% | 9.99% | 0.45% | 16.76% | -2.5% | -0.03% | 2.72% | 6.59% | 6.72% | 2.16% | -2.22% | 2.44% | 4.5% | 8.23% | 8.65% | -2.3% | 4.02% | 2.78% | 1.99% | -0.25% | 1.4% | 16.35% | 13.3% | 9.03% | -1.21% | -1.09% | -3.33% | -3.11% |
| Operating CF Growth % | 548.51% | 207.37% | -50.57% | -56.11% | 3008.2% | -96.37% | 627.48% | -7365.63% | -101.26% | -56.42% | -6.78% | 198.52% | 210.26% | -206.4% | -44.91% | -51.5% | -18.61% | 440.98% | -155.86% | 53.54% | 55.81% | 947.68% | -114.67% | -90.52% | 2% | 11.96% | 803.01% | -72.73% | 42.11% | -100% | -272.73% |
| Net Income | 15.99M | 16.33M | 13.33M | 16.83M | 20.89M | 10.99M | -8.87M | 4.06M | 2.71M | 2.01M | 1.76M | 6.01M | 6.81M | 1.99M | 3.23M | 4.28M | 5.65M | 6.92M | -39.8M | 6.77M | 6.36M | 3.54M | 2.21M | 2.78M | -24.14M | -18.76M | -21.9M | 14.9M | 9.8M | 4.4M | 2.4M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 1.49M | 1.92M | 2.1M | 2.13M | 2.04M | 1.1M | 1.39M | 1.59M | 1.57M | 1.76M | 1.57M | 1.47M | 1.2M | 1.11M | 1.32M | 1.15M | 1.38M | 1.63M | 2.06M | 1.45M | 1.51M | 1.21M | 1.22M | 1.22M | 1.28M | 7.42M | 6.65M | 3M | 1.5M | 600K | 300K |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 1.03M | 3.73M | 2.86M | 2.09M | 1.58M | 1.36M | 1.11M | 806K | 544K | 770K | 901K | 1.45M | 806K | 849K | 169K | 110K | 317K | 181K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | -10K | 1.27M | 2.71M | 41K | 2.05M | 2.54M | -3.71M | 1.1M | 1.43M | -2.34M | 463K | 1.32M | 1.91M | -634K | 781K | 864K | 403K | 2.05M | -5.87M | 2.47M | 827.29K | 952K | -365.63K | 110.34K | 2.02M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -3.35M | 2.07M | -779K | 55K | -1.14M | -3.21M | 10.29M | 383K | 1.15M | 4.47M | 901K | 1.14M | 824K | -623K | 2.25M | 166K | 362K | 203K | 48.86M | 322K | 835.52K | -70K | 2.17M | 4.13M | 30.71M | 34.91M | 39.67M | 600K | -200K | 500K | -100K |
| Working Capital Changes | -20.41M | -6.36M | -14.05M | -8.67M | 3.01M | -11.86M | 25M | -12.72M | -7.47M | -1.6M | 6.04M | 1.09M | -7.37M | -6.49M | -1.92M | -97K | 5.22M | 5.41M | -10.05M | -2.41M | -3.92M | -2.03M | -5.66M | -5.35M | 20.63M | 6.34M | 2.29M | -22.3M | -13.5M | -9.3M | -4.6M |
| Change in Receivables | -17.6M | -4.15M | -7.27M | -20.58M | -1.51M | -14.71M | 15.95M | -7.63M | -7.68M | -459K | 5.43M | 4.26M | -4.78M | -6.4M | -11.67M | -1.02M | 5.25M | 10.17M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.66M | 0 | 903K | 8K | -60K | -1.77M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | -4.13M | -3.48M | 1.1M | -1.51M | 4.92M | 1.52M | 1.64M | -3.08M | 1.02M | -318K | -290K | -80K | -235K | -4.38M | 9.33M | 3.03M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -1.26M | -1.59M | -2.57M | -2.54M | -4.98M | 6.29M | -419K | -363K | -2.58M | -1.8M | -831K | -3.04M | -2.16M | -1.32M | -1.85M | -418K | 329K | -1.65M | -10.36M | -851K | -3.4M | -2.48M | -494.45K | -1.78M | -5.97M | -14.97M | -27.43M | -58M | -26.8M | -17.9M | -1.2M |
| Capital Expenditures | -1.26M | -1.59M | -2.57M | -2.93M | -889K | -568K | -460K | -367K | -1.52M | -1.04M | -846K | -2.79M | -2.09M | -1.41M | -511K | -274K | -101K | -802K | -2.67M | -625K | -1.57M | -558K | -439.25K | -431.82K | -626.98K | -1.8M | -1.72M | -3.8M | -800K | -500K | -100K |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.92% | 1.11% | 0.31% | 0.28% | 0.31% | 0.19% | 0.76% | 0.56% | 0.48% | 1.5% | 1.08% | 0.82% | 0.35% | 0.19% | 0.06% | 0.42% | 1.27% | 0.29% | 0.78% | 0.31% | 0.26% | 0.21% | 0.34% | 0.8% | 0.58% | 1.21% | 0.4% | 0.44% | 0.16% |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4.15M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.07M | -763K | 0 | -249K | 0 | 0 | -1.29M | -128K | 0 | -900K | -7.58M | -259K | -1.84M | -1.9M | 0 | 0 | -5.53M | -13.22M | -25.69M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Investing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 395K | 63K | 6.86M | 41K | 4K | 1K | -1.8M | 15K | 3K | -70K | 84K | -45K | -16K | 430K | 52K | -113K | 33K | 8.09K | -29K | -55.2K | -1.35M | 189.1K | 47.82K | -17.63K | -54.2M | -26M | -17.4M | -1.1M |
| Cash from Financing | -5.96M | -19.04M | -4.83M | -3.85M | -23.13M | -7.55M | -25.63M | 6.63M | 346K | -826K | -11.56M | -14.19M | -4.57M | 290K | -16M | -2.23M | 45K | -4.82M | 4.96M | 993K | -3.53M | 1M | -2.01M | 54.91K | -23.89M | -15.57M | 42.95K | 41.3M | 50.3M | 22.5M | 2.8M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 4.49M | -11.14M | 3.56M | 21.56M | -5.88M | 1.85M | -23.27M | 6.9M | 261K | 12.97M | -6.69M | 1M | 20M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4.9M | 4.9M | 0 | -3.9M | -1M | -2.4M | -120K | -24.08M | -15.8M | 0 | 40.8M | -2M | -700K | 2.8M |
| Equity Issued (Net) | -10.22M | -6.74M | -9.12M | -25.77M | -17.56M | -9.04M | -2.23M | 0 | 0 | -365K | -4.26M | -2.84M | -29K | -83K | -4.7M | -2.51M | -57K | 83K | 55K | 993K | 373.14K | 1M | 388.74K | 174.91K | 192.09K | 234.09K | 42.95K | 500K | 52.3M | 23.3M | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -12.19M | 0 | -12.53M | -25.34M | 0 | -12.34M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -10.86M | -7.36M | -9.12M | -25.77M | -17.56M | -9.04M | -2.23M | 0 | 0 | -365K | -4.26M | -2.84M | -29K | -83K | -4.7M | -2.51M | -206K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | -228K | -1.15M | 728K | 363K | 308K | -357K | -137K | -277K | 85K | -1.24M | -610K | 177K | 802K | 373K | 1.04M | 281K | 102K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -141 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -100K | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | -2.56M | -1.81M | -1.55M | 5.95M | 104K | -499K | -1.11M | 1.36M | -2.37M | 2.57M | -706K | -5.43M | -2.91M | -4.81M | -14.29M | 3.71M | 13.76M | 10.13M | -10.83M | 9.19M | -1.31M | 1.36M | -2.75M | 2.31M | 555.41K | -880.91K | -855.15K | -20.7M | 21.3M | 800K | -300K |
| Free Cash Flow | 3.71M | 17.37M | 3.6M | 9.55M | 27.55M | 347K | 24.74M | -5.14M | -1.58M | 4.03M | 10.79M | 9.69M | 2.09M | -5.2M | 3.05M | 6.2M | 13.24M | 15.59M | -7.47M | 7.98M | 4.04M | 3.04M | -863.58K | 2.46M | 29.88M | 28.11M | 24.99M | -7.6M | -3M | -4.3M | -2M |
| FCF Margin % | 1.17% | 5.44% | 1.29% | 3.63% | 9.68% | 0.17% | 16.45% | -2.69% | -0.79% | 2.16% | 6.11% | 5.22% | 1.08% | -3.04% | 2.09% | 4.31% | 8.17% | 8.23% | -3.57% | 3.73% | 2% | 1.68% | -0.51% | 1.19% | 16.01% | 12.5% | 8.44% | -2.43% | -1.49% | -3.77% | -3.28% |
| FCF Growth % | -73.64% | 382.77% | -62.33% | -65.33% | 7839.77% | -98.6% | 580.91% | -225.22% | -139.25% | -62.64% | 11.33% | 363.68% | 140.21% | -270.26% | -50.73% | -53.2% | -15.07% | 308.58% | -193.66% | 97.75% | 32.79% | 451.91% | -135.08% | -91.76% | 6.3% | 12.47% | 428.85% | -153.33% | 30.23% | -115% | -300% |
| FCF per Share | 0.49 | 2.28 | 0.45 | 1.11 | 2.64 | 0.03 | 2.04 | -0.40 | -0.13 | 0.33 | 0.86 | 0.75 | 0.16 | -0.42 | 0.25 | 0.47 | 1.00 | 1.22 | -0.59 | 0.64 | 0.34 | 0.26 | -0.07 | 0.23 | 2.82 | 2.67 | 2.38 | -0.69 | -0.33 | -0.66 | -0.46 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 0.23x | 1.16x | 0.46x | 0.74x | 1.36x | 0.08x | -2.84x | -1.18x | -0.02x | 2.52x | 6.62x | 2.07x | 0.61x | -1.91x | 1.10x | 1.51x | 2.30x | 2.37x | 0.12x | 1.27x | 0.88x | 1.02x | -0.19x | 1.04x | -1.26x | -1.59x | -1.22x | -0.26x | -0.22x | -0.86x | -0.79x |
| Interest Paid | 1.89M | 2.63M | 2.15M | 1.19M | 297K | 417K | 1.03M | 1.66M | 1.16M | 500K | 464K | 488K | 69K | 66K | 42K | 35K | 74K | 67K | 192K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 5.61M | 6.11M | 5.35M | 4.45M | 5.09M | 1.01M | 264K | 290K | 350K | 522K | 927K | 821K | 1.77M | 1.7M | 1.94M | 1.84M | 1.67M | 2.51M | 2.48M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Working Capital Volatility
As evidenced by the provided financial data, RCMT's operating cash flow frequently decouples from net income, with the OCF/NI ratio swinging from a high of 3.98 in 2025Q1 to a negative 2.87 in 2023Q4, highlighting significant volatility in the company's ability to convert accounting profits into actual liquidity.
The wide variance between net income and operating cash flow suggests that accrual-based accounting may be masking underlying cash flow instability. Investors should monitor whether this divergence is a permanent feature of the company's billing cycles or merely a temporary byproduct of its aggressive growth phases.
Based on reported quarterly figures, RCMT's free cash flow trajectory is highly inconsistent, oscillating between a peak of $16.2 million in 2025Q1 and a deep trough of -$17.1 million in 2023Q4, which underscores the difficulty in maintaining stable cash generation amidst seasonal and operational shifts.
The lack of a consistent positive FCF trend suggests that the company's business model is highly sensitive to timing differences in project execution and client payments. This erratic performance warrants further investigation into whether the company can achieve sustainable cash flow generation without relying on favorable working capital swings.
According to historical cash flow statements, RCMT experiences massive fluctuations in working capital, including a $21.8 million outflow in 2023Q4 followed by an $11.0 million inflow in 2025Q1, indicating that the company's cash position is heavily dependent on the timing of collections from its public sector clients.
These dramatic swings in working capital suggest that the company's liquidity is vulnerable to the payment cycles of school districts and government entities. Such reliance on large, periodic cash inflows may create temporary liquidity crunches that require careful management of short-term obligations.
As reported in financial filings, RCMT has consistently utilized its available cash for share repurchases, such as the $6.7 million outflow in 2026Q1, even during periods where operating cash flow was insufficient to cover these capital returns, suggesting a management preference for returning capital over organic reinvestment.
The decision to prioritize buybacks while operating cash flow remains volatile may limit the company's ability to fund internal growth initiatives or weather unexpected downturns. Investors should monitor whether this capital allocation strategy remains sustainable if the current cash flow volatility persists in future quarters.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying RCMT stock.
RCM Technologies, Inc. (RCMT) generated $19.0M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
RCM Technologies, Inc. (RCMT) generated $17.4M 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.
RCM Technologies, Inc. (RCMT) spent $1.6M 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, RCM Technologies, Inc. (RCMT) spent $7.4M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.