SkyWest (SkyWest) Free Cash Flow

: $420 Mil (TTM As of Dec. 2023)

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SkyWest's total free cash flow for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was $129 Mil. Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was $420 Mil.

SkyWest's Free Cash Flow per Share for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was $3.09. Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was $9.64.

During the past 3 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 36.60% per year. Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the Free Cash Flow Growth Rate using Free Cash Flow per Share data.

During the past 13 years, SkyWest's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 107.50% per year. The lowest was -153.60% per year. And the median was -4.75% per year.

SkyWest Free Cash Flow Historical Data

The historical data trend for SkyWest's Free Cash Flow can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

* Premium members only.

SkyWest Annual Data

Trend

Dec14

Dec15

Dec16

Dec17

Dec18

Dec19

Dec20

Dec21

Dec22

Dec23

Free Cash Flow

6.30

185.64

150.42

-202.22

420.01

SkyWest Quarterly Data
	Mar19	Jun19	Sep19	Dec19	Mar20	Jun20	Sep20	Dec20	Mar21	Jun21	Sep21	Dec21	Mar22	Jun22	Sep22	Dec22	Mar23	Jun23	Sep23	Dec23
Free Cash Flow																25.40	46.93	152.23	91.65	129.21

SkyWest Free Cash Flow Calculation

Free Cash Flow is considered one of the most important parameters to measure a company's earnings power by value investors because it is not subject to estimates of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization (DDA). However, when we look at the Free Cash Flow, we should look from a long term perspective, because any year's Free Cash Flow can be drastically affected by the spending on Property, Plant, & Equipment (PPE) of the business in that year. Over the long term, Free Cash Flow should give pretty good picture on the real earnings power of the company.

SkyWest's Free Cash Flow for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2023 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (A: Dec. 2023 )	=	Cash Flow from Operations	+	Capital Expenditure
	=	736.334	+	-316.326
	=	420

SkyWest's Free Cash Flow for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2023 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (Q: Dec. 2023 )	=	Cash Flow from Operations	+	Capital Expenditure
	=	224.427	+	-95.22
	=	129

Free Cash Flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $420 Mil.

SkyWest (NAS:SKYW) Free Cash Flow Explanation

Free Cash Flow is very close to Warren Buffett's definition of Owner's Earnings, except that in Warren Buffett's Owner's Earnings, the spending for Property, Plant, and Equipment is only for maintenance (replacement), while in the Free Cash Flow calculation, the cost of new Property, Plant, and Equipment due to business expansion is also deducted. There, Free Cash Flow is more conservative than Owner's Earnings.

In Don Yacktman's calculation of forward rate of return, he uses Free Cash Flow for the calculation. Yacktman explained the forward rate of return concept in detail in his interview with GuruFocus. Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation.

This is what Yacktman said in his March 2012 interview - when the S&P 500 was at 1400:

If the business is stable, this calculation is fairly straightforward. For instance, on the S&P 500 we would normalize earnings. We would then calculate what percentage of those earnings are not reinvested in the underlying businesses and are therefore free. Historically, for the S&P 500, this has been just under 50% of earnings. Currently, we expect the S&P to earn about 70 on a normalized basis, a number which is far below reported earnings due to our adjusting for record high profit margins. $70 X ½ / 1400 gives you a normalized free cash flow yield of approximately 2.5%.

The historical real growth rate of the S&P 500 (companies) is about 1.5%. Assuming an inflation rate of 2.5%, the forward rate of return on an investment in the S&P 500 is about 6.5% today (2.5% free cash flow yield plus 1.5% real growth plus 2.5% inflation).

For the growth part of the Forward Rate of Return calculation, GuruFocus uses the 5-year average growth rate of EBITDA per share as the growth rate, and the growth rate is always capped at 20%. For the Free Cash Flow we use per share data averaged over seven years. The reason we use seven years is because research shows that seven years is the length of the typical business cycle.

Therefore, as of Dec23, SkyWest's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % (Dec23)	=	Normalized Free Cash Flow	/	Price	+	5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
	=	2.27657143	/	52.2	+	-0.2301
	=	-18.65 %

Be Aware

Free Cash Flow within a report period can be affected by management's decisions of capital spending. Therefore, it is important to look at long term when it comes to Free Cash Flow.

SkyWest Free Cash Flow Related Terms

Thank you for viewing the detailed overview of SkyWest's Free Cash Flow provided by GuruFocus.com. Please click on the following links to see related term pages.

SkyWest (SkyWest) Business Description

Industry

GURUFOCUS.COM » STOCK LIST » Industrials » Transportation » SkyWest Inc (NAS:SKYW) » Definitions » Free Cash Flow

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Traded in Other Exchanges

SY2:Germany

Address

444 South River Road, St. George, UT, USA, 84790

Website

https://www.skywest.com

SkyWest Inc offers commercial air services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Additionally, it leases aircraft to capable users to help generate revenue. Generally, SkyWest provides regional flights, and utilizes its smaller, lower-cost aircraft to carry passengers that booked tickets through major airlines. It partners with major global carriers to fly and operate aircraft for a fee. SkyWest may use the major carriers' brand and ground support to coordinate marketing and easily transport passengers. The company has two reportable segments: SkyWest Airlines and SkyWest Leasing.

Executives

James L Welch	director	5550 SW MACADAM AVENUE, SUITE 200, PORTLAND OR 97239
Robert J Simmons	officer: Chief Financial Officer	C/O SKYWEST, INC., 444 SOUTH RIVER ROAD, SAINT GEORGE UT 84790
Jerry C Atkin	director, officer: Chairman, President and CEO	684 S OAKRIDGE DRIVE, PINE VALLEY UT 84781
Wade J Steel	officer: Executive Vice President	1847 VIEW POINT CIRCLE, SANTA CLARA UT 84765
Russell A Childs	officer: Pres. & COO of SkyWest Airline	444 SOUTH RIVER ROAD, ST GEORGE UT 84790
Henry J Eyring	director
Eric Woodward	officer: Chief Accounting Officer	444 SOUTH RIVER ROAD, ST. GEORGE UT 84790
Smita Conjeevaram	director	70 HERETOLD ROAD, BRONXVILLE NY 17708
Greg Wooley	officer: Exec VP Operations	C/O SKYWEST INC., 444 S. RIVER RD, ST. GEORGE UT 84790
W Steve Albrecht	director	3901 NO FIRST ST, SAN JOSE CA 95134
Michael S Thompson	officer: Chief Operating Officer, other: Skwest Airlines	2311 S COYOTE LOOP, WASHINGTON UT 84780
Terry Vais	officer: Chief Commercial Officer	251 HIGHWOODS PKWY, NEWNAN GA 30265
Andrew C Roberts	director	C/O SKYWEST, INC., 444 S RIVER ROAD, ST. GEORGE UT 84790
Meredith R. Siegfried	director	C/O SKYWEST, INC., 444 S RIVER ROAD, ST. GEORGE UT 84790
Alexandria Panot Marren	officer: COO of ExpressJet Airlines	444 S. RIVER ROAD, ST. GEORGE UT 84790