2023 Investor Day Presentation
Historical Free Cash Flow GAAP Reconciliation
($M)
We define "free cash flow" as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of, and plus proceeds from, equipment and intangible assets, and plus excess tax
benefits from share-based payment arrangements. The equipment and intangible asset purchases and proceeds are included in cash flows from investing activities.
Management believes that free cash flow provides useful additional information concerning cash flow available to meet future debt service obligations and working capital
requirements. However, free cash flow is not a measure of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP. Accordingly, free cash flow should not be considered an
alternative to net income or cash flow from operating activities as an indicator of operating performance or liquidity. The table below provides a reconciliation between net
cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow.
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Net cash provided by operating activities
1,551
$ 1,801 $ 1,987
1,941 $
2,209 $ 2,853 $ 3,024
2,658
3,689
$4,433
Purchases of rental equipment
(1,580)
(1,701)
(1,534)
(1,246)
(1,769)
(2,106)
(2,132)
(961)
(2,998)
(3,436)
Purchases of non-rental equipment and intangible assets
(104)
(120)
(102)
(93)
(120)
(185)
(218)
(197)
(200)
(254)
Proceeds from sales of rental equipment
490
544
538
496
550
664
831
858
968
965
Proceeds from sales of non-rental equipment
26
33
17
14
16
Insurance proceeds from damaged equipment (1)
8
12
21
22
23
37
42
30
24
22
24
40
25
32
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements (2)
Free cash flow
Merger and restructuring related payments included in free cash
flow (3)
―
—
5
58
―
383 $ 557
919
$ 1,182
$
907 $ 1,271 $ 1,566
2,440 $
1,514
$ 1,764
38
38
17
5
13
76
63
26
14
13
4
Free cash flow excluding merger and restructuring related
payments (3)
Operating cash flow margin
Free cash flow margin(3)
421 $ 574
$
924 $ 1,195 $
983 $
1,334 $ 1,592 $
2,454 $
1,527
$1,768
31.3 % 31.7
%
8.5
% 10.1
%
34.2 % 33.7
15.9 %
%
33.3
% 35.5
20.7
%
14.8 %
% 32.3
16.6 % 17.0
%
31.2 %
38.0%
38.1%
%
28.8 %
15.7%
15.2%
1 In 2018, we adopted accounting guidance that addressed the cash flow presentation for proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims. Adoption of this guidance decreased net cash provided by operating activities, relative to previously reported amounts, but did not
change free cash flow, for 2017, 2016 and 2015 in the table above. The information required to determine the amount of insurance proceeds for periods prior to 2015 is unavailable without unreasonable effort. The adoption of this accounting guidance did not impact free
cash flow, as the reduction to net cash provided by operating activities was offset by the increase in insurance proceeds from damaged equiment. 2 The excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements result from stock-based compensation windfall
deductions in excess of the amounts reported for financial reporting purposes. We adopted accounting guidance in 2017 that changed the cash flow presentation of excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements. In the table above, the excess tax benefits
from share-based payment arrangements for periods after 2016 are presented as a component of net cash provided by operating activities, while, for 2016 and prior, they are presented as a separate line item. Because we historically included the excess tax benefits from
share based payment arrangements in the free cash flow calculation, the adoption of this guidance did not change the calculation of free cash flow. 3 Merger and restructuring related payments were first reported for 2012. The information required to determine the amount
of merger and restructuring related payments for periods prior to 2012 is unavailable without unreasonable effort.
United Rentals®
Work United®
2023 Investor Day | 99View entire presentation