Glossary

Free cash flow

Free cash flow is the cash left after a business has paid its operating costs and the capital spending needed just to keep running.

2 min read

Left overAfter essential capex

Definition

Free cash flow is the cash left after a business has paid its operating costs and the capital spending needed just to keep running. It is the money genuinely available to repay debt, reward owners or reinvest — the truest measure of financial freedom.

In plain terms

Take operating cash flow and subtract the essential capex — replacing worn-out kit, maintaining premises. What remains is free: cash the business can actually choose how to use, rather than cash already spoken for.

Why it matters

Free cash flow is the number to judge what debt a business can really afford, because it accounts for necessary reinvestment. See free cash flow explained.

Funding for UK limited companies

Credicorp lends to your company, not to you personally — short-term working capital with no personal guarantee. See what your business could access.