Benchmark Electronics (Benchmark Electronics) Free Cash Flow

: $97 Mil (TTM As of Dec. 2023)

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Benchmark Electronics's total free cash flow for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was $126 Mil. Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was $97 Mil.

Benchmark Electronics's Free Cash Flow per Share for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was $3.48. Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was $2.64.

During the past 3 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 6.90% 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 13 years, Benchmark Electronics's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 149.20% per year. The lowest was -59.40% per year. And the median was 5.20% per year.

Benchmark Electronics Free Cash Flow Historical Data

The historical data trend for Benchmark Electronics'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.

Benchmark Electronics Annual Data

Trend

Dec14

Dec15

Dec16

Dec17

Dec18

Dec19

Dec20

Dec21

Dec22

Dec23

Free Cash Flow

58.02

80.92

-44.80

-224.24

96.56

Benchmark Electronics 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																-65.93	-63.64	16.22	17.92	126.05

Benchmark Electronics 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.

Benchmark Electronics'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
	=	174.294	+	-77.739
	=	97

Benchmark Electronics'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
	=	137.08	+	-11.026
	=	126

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 $97 Mil.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) 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, Benchmark Electronics's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % (Dec23)	=	Normalized Free Cash Flow	/	Price	+	5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
	=	0.11009524	/	27.64	+	0.1692
	=	17.32 %

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.

Benchmark Electronics Free Cash Flow Related Terms

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

Benchmark Electronics (Benchmark Electronics) Business Description

Industry

GURUFOCUS.COM » STOCK LIST » Technology » Hardware » Benchmark Electronics Inc (NYSE:BHE) » Definitions » Free Cash Flow

Comparable Companies

Traded in Other Exchanges

BMU:Germany

Address

56 South Rockford Drive, Tempe, AZ, USA, 85288

Website

https://www.bench.com

Benchmark Electronics Inc is engaged in product designing, engineering services, technology solutions, and advanced manufacturing services (electronic manufacturing services (EMS) and precision technology services). It serves various industries, including aerospace & defense (A&D), medical technologies, complex industrials, semiconductor capital equipment, next-generation telecommunications, and high-end computing. Its geographical segments are the Americas, Asia and Europe of which key revenue is derived from the Americas.

Executives

David Valkanoff	officer: EVP, Chief Operating Officer	C/O BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS INC., 56 SOUTH ROCKFORD DRIVE, TEMPE AZ 85288
David Moezidis	officer: EVP, Chief Commercial Officer	C/O BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS INC., 56 SOUTH ROCKFORD DRIVE, TEMPE AZ 85288
Douglas Britt	director	1500 WEST UNIVERSITY PARKWAY, SARASOTA FL 34243
Jeffrey Stephen Mccreary	director	C/O MIPS TECHNOLOGIES, INC., 955 EAST ARQUES AVENUE, SUNNYVALE CA 94085
Jeff Benck	director, officer: President and CEO	BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC., 56 SOUTH ROCKFORD DRIVE, TEMPE AZ 85281
Rhonda R Turner	officer: Chief Human Resources Officer	20410 NORTH 19TH AVENUE, STE 200, PHOENIX AZ 85027
Ramesh Gopalakrishnan	director	8501 NORTH SCOTTSDALE ROAD, SUITE 100, SCOTTSDALE AZ 85253
Greef-safft Anne De	director	11 KEEWAYDIN DRIVE, SUITE 300, SALEM NH 03079
Roop Kalyan Lakkaraju	officer: CFO	BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC., 56 SOUTH ROCKFORD DRIVE, TEMPE AZ 85281
Lynn A Wentworth	director	CINCINNATI BELL INC, P O BOX 2301, CINCINNATI OH 45201
Lisa K Weeks	officer: Vice President	56 SOUTH ROCKFORD DRIVE, TEMPE AZ 85281
Douglas G Duncan	director	1715 AARON BRENNER DR STE 600, MEMPHIS TN 38120
Robert K Gifford	director	370 WABASHA STREET NORTH, ST. PAUL MN 55102
Robert Crawford	officer: Chief Revenue Officer	56 SOUTH ROCKFORD DRIVE, TEMPE AZ 85281
Stephen J Beaver	officer: VP and General Counsel	7440 E. EDWARD LANE, SCOTTSDALE AZ 85250