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FedEx (FDX) Free Cash Flow : $2,981 Mil (TTM As of May. 2025)


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What is FedEx Free Cash Flow?

FedEx's total free cash flow for the months ended in May. 2025 was $1,046 Mil. Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in May. 2025 was $2,981 Mil.

FedEx's Free Cash Flow per Share for the months ended in May. 2025 was $4.36. Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in May. 2025 was $12.30.

During the past 12 months, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate of FedEx was -1.80% per year. During the past 3 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 2.10% 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, FedEx's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 560.80% per year. The lowest was -90.80% per year. And the median was 3.50% per year.


FedEx Free Cash Flow Historical Data

The historical data trend for FedEx'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.

FedEx Free Cash Flow Chart

FedEx Annual Data
Trend May16 May17 May18 May19 May20 May21 May22 May23 May24 May25
Free Cash Flow
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 4,251.00 3,069.00 2,674.00 3,136.00 2,981.00

FedEx Quarterly Data
Aug20 Nov20 Feb21 May21 Aug21 Nov21 Feb22 May22 Aug22 Nov22 Feb23 May23 Aug23 Nov23 Feb24 May24 Aug24 Nov24 Feb25 May25
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 1,496.00 420.00 500.00 1,015.00 1,046.00

FedEx 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.

FedEx's Free Cash Flow for the fiscal year that ended in May. 2025 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (A: May. 2025 )=Cash Flow from Operations+Capital Expenditure
=7036+-4055
=2,981

FedEx's Free Cash Flow for the quarter that ended in May. 2025 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (Q: May. 2025 )=Cash Flow from Operations+Capital Expenditure
=2519+-1473
=1,046

Free Cash Flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in May. 2025 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $2,981 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.


FedEx  (NYSE:FDX) 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 May25, FedEx's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % (May25)=Normalized Free Cash Flow/Price+5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=12.44304762/218.1+0.0895
=14.66 %

* 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.


FedEx Free Cash Flow Related Terms

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


FedEx Business Description

Address
942 South Shady Grove Road, Memphis, TN, USA, 38120
FedEx pioneered overnight delivery in 1973 and remains the world's largest express package provider. In its fiscal 2024, which ended in May, FedEx derived 47% of revenue from its express division, 37% from ground, and 10% from freight, its asset-based less-than-truckload shipping segment. The remainder came from other services, including FedEx Office, which provides document production/shipping, and FedEx Logistics, which provides global forwarding. FedEx acquired Dutch parcel delivery firm TNT Express in 2016, boosting its presence across Europe. TNT was previously the fourth-largest global parcel delivery provider.
Executives
Frederick W Smith director, officer: CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD 942 S SHADY GROVE RD, MEMPHIS TN 38120
John Alan Smith officer: President & CEO/FedEx Freight 1715 AARON BRENNER DRIVE, MEMPHIS TN 38120
Susan C Schwab director 2101 VAN MUNCHING HALL, COLLEGE PARK MD 20742
Richard W Smith officer: President/CEO FedEx Express 3610 HACKS CROSS ROAD, BUILDING A 3RD FLOOR, MEMPHIS TN 38125
John W Dietrich officer: EVP CHIEF FINANCIAL OFF
Amy B Lane director 1626 EAST JEFFERSON ST, ROCKVILLE MD 20852
Brie Carere officer: EVP/Chief Mkt & Comm Officer 942 S. SHADY GROVE ROAD, MEMPHIS TN 38120
Sriram Krishnasamy officer: EVP - CTO & CEO Dataworks 1715 AARON BRENNER DRIVE, MEMPHIS TN 38120
Marvin R Ellison director 1000 LOWE'S BOULEVARD, MOORESVILLE NC 28117
Erwin Guy M Ii officer: STAFF VP INT PRIN ACCT OFFICER 942 S SHADY GROVE ROAD, MEMPHIS TN 38120
David P Steiner director 1001 FANNIN ST, STE 4000, HOUSTON TX 77002
Mark R Allen officer: EVP GENL COUNSEL/SECTY 942 SOUTH SHADY GROVE RD, MEMPHIS TN 38120
Robert B Carter officer: EVP CHIEF INFO OFFICER 942 S SHADY GROVE RD, MEMPHIS TN 38120
Paul S Walsh director 8 HENRIETTA PLACE, LONDON X0 94111
Tracy B Brightman officer: EVP - Chief People Officer 942 S SHADY GROVE ROAD, MEMPHIS TN 38120