C3.ai (XSWX:AI) Free Cash Flow: CHF-152.3 Mil (TTM As of Apr. 2026)

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Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
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XSWX:AI C3.ai Inc XSWX:AI
54 GF Score
Price CHF7.00
GF Value CHF13.22
! 7 Warning Signs
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What is C3.ai Free Cash Flow?

C3.ai XSWX:AI -1.35% 54 Free Cash Flow is CHF-152.3 Mil as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus rates XSWX:AI with a GF Score™ of 54/100 and a GF Value™ of CHF13.22. The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review.

C3.ai's total free cash flow for the months ended in Apr. 2026 was CHF-43.1 Mil. Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Apr. 2026 was CHF-152.3 Mil.

C3.ai's Free Cash Flow per Share for the months ended in Apr. 2026 was CHF-0.30. Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Apr. 2026 was CHF-1.08.

During the past 3 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 7.10% per year. During the past 5 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was -1.90% 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 8 years, C3.ai's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 26.60% per year. The lowest was -25.00% per year. And the median was -8.90% per year.


C3.ai  (XSWX:AI) 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 five years. The reason we use five years is because research shows that five years is the length of the typical business cycle.

Therefore, as of Apr26, C3.ai's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % (Apr26)=Normalized Free Cash Flow/Price+5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=0/7+0
=0.00 %

* 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.


C3.ai Free Cash Flow Related Terms


C3.ai Free Cash Flow Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for C3.ai'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.

C3.ai Free Cash Flow Chart

C3.ai Annual Data
Trend Apr19 Apr20 Apr21 Apr22 Apr23 Apr24 Apr25 Apr26
Free Cash Flow
Get a 7-Day Free Trial -85.76 -168.21 -82.23 -37.06 -151.33

C3.ai Quarterly Data
Jul21 Oct21 Jan22 Apr22 Jul22 Oct22 Jan23 Apr23 Jul23 Oct23 Jan24 Apr24 Jul24 Oct24 Jan25 Apr25 Jul25 Oct25 Jan26 Apr26
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 8.61 -27.40 -37.39 -44.36 -43.13
XSWX:AI
54GF Score
C3.ai Inc XSWX:AI
Free Cash Flow is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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C3.ai 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.

C3.ai's Free Cash Flow for the fiscal year that ended in Apr. 2026 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (A: Apr. 2026 )=Cash Flow from Operations+Capital Expenditure
=-149.824+-1.503
=-151.3

C3.ai's Free Cash Flow for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (Q: Apr. 2026 )=Cash Flow from Operations+Capital Expenditure
=-42.877+-0.254
=-43.1

Free Cash Flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Apr. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was CHF-152.3 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.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Free Cash Flow →
What does a Free Cash Flow of CHF-152.3 Mil mean?
C3.ai (XSWX:AI) has a Free Cash Flow of CHF-152.3 Mil as of Apr. 2026. Free cash flow represents the total amount of cash a company has on hand following operating and capital expenditures. View historial data for C3.ai and its competitors.
Is C3.ai's Free Cash Flow too high?
C3.ai's current Free Cash Flow is CHF-152.3 Mil. Overall, C3.ai has a GF Score™ of 54/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does C3.ai's Free Cash Flow compare to PICS and PRGS?
C3.ai's Free Cash Flow of CHF-152.3 Mil can be compared against companies in the Software industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Free Cash Flow for a Software company?
A good Free Cash Flow depends on the Software industry context. However, Free Cash Flow should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Free Cash Flow mean?
A high Free Cash Flow can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Free cash flow represents the total amount of cash a company has on hand following operating and capital expenditures. View historial data for C3.ai and its competitors. C3.ai's current Free Cash Flow is CHF-152.3 Mil. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is C3.ai stock overvalued right now?
C3.ai (XSWX:AI) has a current Free Cash Flow of CHF-152.3 Mil. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF13.22, compared to a current price of CHF7.00 — trading 47% below its estimated fair value. The current Free Cash Flow is CHF-152.3 Mil. C3.ai's overall GF Score™ is 54/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Free Cash Flow calculated?
Free Cash Flow is calculated from a company's financial statements. For C3.ai (XSWX:AI), the current Free Cash Flow is CHF-152.3 Mil as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is C3.ai (XSWX:AI) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, C3.ai stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of CHF7.00 is trading 47% below its estimated GF Value™ of CHF13.22.

Key valuation signals for XSWX:AI:

  • Free Cash Flow: CHF-152.3 Mil
  • GF Value™: CHF13.22 vs. price of CHF7.00 (47% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 54/100 with 7 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:AI stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


C3.ai Business Description

Address 1400 Seaport Boulevard, Redwood City, CA, USA, 94063
C3.ai Inc is an enterprise artificial intelligence company. The company provides software-as-a-service applications that enable customers to rapidly develop, deploy, and operate large-scale Enterprise AI applications across any infrastructure. It provides solutions under three divisions namely, The C3 AI Platform, which is an end-to-end application development and runtime environment for designing, developing, and deploying AI applications: C3 AI Applications, which is a portfolio of pre-built, extensible, industry-specific, and application-specific Enterprise AI applications: and C3 Generative AI, which combines the utility of large language models. Geographically the company derives revenue from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World.
54GF Score

Get the complete analysis for XSWX:AI

Free Cash Flow is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

CHF7.00
Price
CHF13.22
GF Value