NRG Energy (NRG Energy) Free Cash Flow

: $-843 Mil (TTM As of Dec. 2023)

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NRG Energy's total free cash flow for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was $137 Mil. Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was $-843 Mil.

NRG Energy's Free Cash Flow per Share for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was $0.62. Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was $-3.67.

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, NRG Energy's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 202.20% per year. The lowest was -66.60% per year. And the median was 9.75% per year.

NRG Energy Free Cash Flow Historical Data

The historical data trend for NRG Energy'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.

NRG Energy Annual Data

Trend

Dec14

Dec15

Dec16

Dec17

Dec18

Dec19

Dec20

Dec21

Dec22

Dec23

Free Cash Flow

1,185.00

1,597.00

224.00

-13.00

-843.00

NRG Energy 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																-1,517.00	-1,758.00	381.00	397.00	137.00

NRG Energy 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.

NRG Energy'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
	=	-221	+	-622
	=	-843

NRG Energy'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
	=	241	+	-104
	=	137

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 $-843 Mil.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) 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, NRG Energy's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % (Dec23)	=	Normalized Free Cash Flow	/	Price	+	5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
	=	3.3407619	/	51.7	+	0.2
	=	26.46 %

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.

NRG Energy Free Cash Flow Related Terms

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NRG Energy (NRG Energy) Business Description

Industry

GURUFOCUS.COM » STOCK LIST » Utilities » Utilities - Independent Power Producers » NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG) » Definitions » Free Cash Flow

Traded in Other Exchanges

NRA:Germany N1RG34:Brazil

Address

910 Louisiana Street, Houston, TX, USA, 77002

Website

https://www.nrg.com

NRG Energy is one of the largest retail energy providers in the U.S., with 5.5 million customers. Its 2023 acquisition of Vivint Smart Home adds 1.9 million home services customers. NRG also is one of the largest U.S. independent power producers, with 13 gigawatts of coal, gas, and oil power generation capacity primarily in Texas. NRG exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a stand-alone entity in December 2003.

Executives

Rasesh M. Patel	officer: Exec VP, Vivint	C/O VIVINT SMART HOME, INC., 4931 NORTH 300 WEST, PROVO UT 84604
Elisabeth B Donohue	director	C/O SYNACOR, INC., 40 LA RIVIERE DRIVE, SUITE 300, BUFFALO NY 14202
Heather Cox	director	804 CARNEGIE CENTER, PRINCETON NJ 08540
Paul W Hobby	director	4400 POST OAK PARKWAY, HOUSTON TX 77027
Lawrence S Coben	director	SUNRISE CAPITAL, 685 THIRD AVE 15TH FLOOR, NEW YORK NY 10017-4024
Mauricio Gutierrez	officer: Exec VP & Chief Operating Ofc	211 CARNEGIE CENTER, PRINCETON NJ 08540
Antonio Carrillo	director	500 N AKARD ST. SUITE 400, DALLAS TX 75201
Bruce Chung	officer: EVP, Strategy and NRG Services	804 CARNEGIE CENTER, PRINCETON NJ 08540
Emily Picarello	officer: Vice Pres & Corp Controller	804 CARNEGIE CENTER, PRINCETON NJ 08540
Robert J Gaudette	officer: Senior VP, Business Solutions	1155 PERIMETER CENTER WEST, ATLANTA GA 30342
Elizabeth R Killinger	officer: Sr. VP & President,NRG Retail	NRG ENERGY, INC., 211 CARNEGIE CENTER, PRINCETON NJ 08540
Christopher Moser	officer: Exec Vice Pres, Operations	804 CARNEGIE CENTER, PRINCETON NJ 08540
David Callen	officer: Chief Accounting Offficer	NRG ENERGY, INC., 211 CARNEGIE CENTER, PRINCETON NJ 08540
Alberto Fornaro	officer: Executive Vice Pres & CFO	1415 W. 22ND STREET, SUITE 1100, OAK BROOK IL 60523
Gaetan Frotte	officer: Interim CFO, Sr VP & Treasurer	804 CARNEGIE CENTER, PRINCETON NJ 08540