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Questar (Questar) Free Cash Flow : $229 Mil (TTM As of Jun. 2016)


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What is Questar Free Cash Flow?

Questar's total free cash flow for the months ended in Jun. 2016 was $34 Mil. Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2016 was $229 Mil.

Questar's Free Cash Flow per Share for the months ended in Jun. 2016 was $0.19. Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2016 was $1.30.

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.


Questar Free Cash Flow Historical Data

The historical data trend for Questar'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.

Questar Free Cash Flow Chart

Questar Annual Data
Trend Dec06 Dec07 Dec08 Dec09 Dec10 Dec11 Dec12 Dec13 Dec14 Dec15
Free Cash Flow
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 121.30 97.00 -1.60 72.10 92.40

Questar Quarterly Data
Sep11 Dec11 Mar12 Jun12 Sep12 Dec12 Mar13 Jun13 Sep13 Dec13 Mar14 Jun14 Sep14 Dec14 Mar15 Jun15 Sep15 Dec15 Mar16 Jun16
Free Cash Flow Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 16.60 -23.60 -46.50 264.50 34.20

Questar 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.

Questar's Free Cash Flow for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2015 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (A: Dec. 2015 )=Cash Flow from Operations+Capital Expenditure
=411.4+-319
=92

Questar's Free Cash Flow for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2016 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (Q: Jun. 2016 )=Cash Flow from Operations+Capital Expenditure
=111.9+-77.7
=34

Free Cash Flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2016 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $229 Mil.

* 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.


Questar  (NYSE:STR) 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 Jun16, Questar's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % (Jun16)=Normalized Free Cash Flow/Price+5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=0.56780952/25.37+0.0324
=5.48 %

* 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.


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.


Questar Free Cash Flow Related Terms

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


Questar (Questar) Business Description

Traded in Other Exchanges
N/A
Address
Questar Corporation is an integrated natural gas holding company with three lines of business operated through wholly owned subsidiaries: Wexpro Company, Questar Pipeline and Questar Gas. Questar Gas distributes natural gas as a public utility in Utah, southwestern Wyoming and a small portion of southeastern Idaho. Questar Gas has the necessary regulatory approvals to serve the areas and has long-term franchises granted by communities and counties within its service area. Questar Gas currently does not face direct competition from other distributors of natural gas for residential and commercial customers in its service territory. Wexpro develops, produces and delivers natural gas from cost-of-service reserves for gas utility affiliate Questar Gas under the terms of the Wexpro Agreement and the Wexpro II Agreement (Wexpro agreements), comprehensive agreements with the states of Utah and Wyoming. Wexpro delivers natural gas production to Questar Gas at cost of service. Wexpro's properties are located in the Rocky Mountain region, in the Vermillion, Pinedale, Moxa Arch, and Uinta Basin producing fields. Wexpro faces competition in its business, including the marketing of oil and NGL, and obtaining goods, services and labor. Questar Pipeline provides natural gas transportation and underground-storage services in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Questar Pipeline and its subsidiaries operate 2,667 miles of interstate pipeline, including 10 miles owned by a third party. Questar Pipeline's core transportation system is strategically located near large reserves of natural gas in six Rocky Mountain producing areas. Questar Pipeline transports natural gas from these producing areas to other pipeline systems, Questar Gas's distribution system and other utility systems. In addition to this core system, Questar Pipeline, through wholly-owned subsidiaries, owns and operates the Overthrust Pipeline in southwestern Wyoming and the eastern segment of Southern Trails Pipeline, a 487-mile line that extends from the Blanco hub in New Mexico's San Juan Basin to just inside the California state line near the Arizona border. An additional 96miles of Southern Trails Pipeline in California is not in service.
Executives
Harris H Simmons director ZIONS BANCORPORATION, ONE MAIN STREET, SUITE 1134, SALT LAKE CITY UT 84111
Laurence M Downes director C/O NEW JERSEY RESOURCES CORPORATION, 1415 WYCKOFF ROAD, WALL NJ 07719
Ron W Jibson officer: President & CEO 180 EAST 100 SOUTH, P.O. BOX 45360, SALT LAKE CITY UT 84145-0433
Rebecca Ranich director 333 S STATE STREET, SALT LAKE CITY UT 84145-0433
Micheal G. Dunn officer: EVP & President, QPC 333 SOUTH STATE STREET, 333 SOUTH STATE STREET UT 84145-0433
Christopher A Helms director MPLX LP, 200 E. HARDIN STREET, FINDLAY OH 45840
Teresa Beck director 1681 SOUTH MOHAWK WAY, SALT LAKE CITY UT 84108
J T Mcmanus director 605 RICHARD ARRINGTON JR BLVD N, BIRMINGHAM AL 35203-2707
Bruce A Williamson director C/O SOUTHCROSS ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P., 1717 MAIN STREET, SUITE 5200, DALLAS TX 75201
R D Cash director 5201 18TH PLACE, LUBBOCK TX 79416
Keith O Rattie director 180 EAST 100 SOUTH, SALT LAKE CITY UT 84111
Gary G Michael director P. O. BOX 1718, BOISE ID 83701
L Richard Flury director 2000 W SAM HOUSTON PKWY S, SUITE 2000, HOUSTON TX 77042
Mckee Robert E Iii director 14927 SANDALFOOT, HOUSTON TX 77095
Charles B Stanley director, officer: EVP / COO 6500 NORTH MINERAL DRIVE, COEUR D'ALENE ID 83815-9408

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