GlossaryFree Cash Flow Margin

Free Cash Flow Margin

FCF Margin

The cash a business actually generates, after reinvesting in itself.

Free cash flow margin is free cash flow — operating cash flow minus capital expenditure — as a percentage of revenue. Unlike accounting profit, it reflects real cash left over after the company funds its own reinvestment. Fisclear tracks this as a sector median, refreshed monthly, rather than as a per-stock figure.

The formula

Free Cash FlowRevenue
= FCF Margin

Why it matters

  • Cash, not accounting profit, pays dividends, buys back stock, and pays down debt — FCF margin tracks the real fuel for those.
  • A company can show strong net margin but weak FCF margin if profit is tied up in working capital or heavy capex.
  • Best compared against the sector median, since capital intensity (and therefore typical FCF margin) varies enormously by industry.

How to read it

< 5%Capital-intensive, or reinvesting heavily
5%–15%Healthy cash generation
> 20%Highly cash-generative, asset-light model

Free Cash Flow Margin by sector

Live · sector medians
SectorMedian FCF Margin
Real Estate22.0%
Technology19.5%
Communication Services16.0%
Healthcare13.5%
Energy11.5%
Unknown11.0%
Consumer Staples9.5%
Financials9.0%
Materials9.0%
Industrials8.5%
Consumer Discretionary8.2%
Utilities6.0%

Free Cash Flow Margin isn't stored per-stock in our data — only as a sector median, refreshed monthly. Browse companies by sector for the individual context.

Related terms

Free Cash Flow Margin — Definition & Live Rankings | Fisclear | Fisclear