CAE Inc. (CAE) Cash Flow Statement
Where CAE’s cash came from and went, FY2026
March 31, 2026 · Canadian dollars- Cash from operations
- C$873.8M −2.5% vs FY2025
- Capital expenditures
- C$288.5M 5.9% of revenue
- Free cash flow
- C$585.2M 11.9% margin
- Returned to shareholders
- C$7.0M 1% of free cash flow
- Change in cash
- C$269.2M cash at year-end C$553.8M
Cash from operations
C$873.8M
Capital expenditures
−C$288.5M
Acquisitions & other
−C$111.4M
Share buybacks (net)
−C$7.0M
Net borrowing (repayment)
−C$250.5M
Shares issued
+C$46.3M
Currency & other
+C$6.6M
Change in cash
C$269.2M
Drawn to scale: where the cash came from and how it was used. Hover for values.
CAE operating cash flow, capex and free cash flow
Operating cash flowCapital expendituresFree cash flowFCF margin (right axis)
CAE cash flow trends, FY2017–FY2026
| Metric | Trend | Then | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating cash flow | C$464.3MFY2017 | C$873.8MFY2026 | +7.3%/yr | |
| Capital expenditures | C$236.0MFY2017 | C$288.5MFY2026 | +2.3%/yr | |
| Free cash flow | C$228.3MFY2017 | C$585.2MFY2026 | +11.0%/yr | |
| Free cash flow margin | 8.4%FY2017 | 11.9%FY2026 | +3.4 pts | |
| Operating cash flow / net income | 1.81FY2017 | 2.78FY2026 | +0.98 | |
| Stock-based compensation | C$29.2MFY2017 | C$36.7MFY2026 | +2.6%/yr | |
| Dividends paid | C$80.6MFY2017 | C$0FY2021 | −100.0% | |
| Share buybacks (net) | C$41.7MFY2017 | C$7.0MFY2026 | −18.0%/yr | |
| Capex / revenue | 8.7%FY2017 | 5.9%FY2026 | −2.9 pts |
Change is the average annual growth (CAGR) or the difference between the first and latest year.
CAE cash flow by activity
OperatingInvestingFinancingChange in cash
CAE net income vs operating cash flow
Net incomeOperating cash flow
Operating cash flow above net income usually means earnings are backed by cash (depreciation and stock-based pay are non-cash expenses).
CAE cash flow statement in Canadian dollars
| FY2026 | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 | FY2019 | FY2018 | FY2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating activities | ||||||||||
| Net income | C$313.9M | C$415.0M | −C$296.3M | C$231.9M | C$150.0M | −C$47.5M | C$318.9M | C$340.1M | C$355.7M | C$257.1M |
| Depreciation & amortization | C$452.2M | C$414.7M | C$374.8M | C$342.2M | C$310.5M | C$319.5M | C$305.4M | C$217.2M | C$199.6M | C$211.9M |
| Stock-based compensation | C$36.7M | C$25.2M | C$14.8M | C$6.1M | C$6.4M | C$9.6M | C$14.5M | C$9.3M | C$23.1M | C$29.2M |
| Change in working capital | −C$37.8M | C$197.1M | C$128.1M | −C$114.5M | C$22.5M | −C$49.5M | −C$52.2M | C$35.2M | −C$43.1M | C$29.1M |
| Other non-cash items | C$108.8M | −C$155.5M | C$345.5M | −C$57.3M | −C$71.2M | C$134.5M | −C$41.5M | −C$71.4M | −C$132.0M | −C$63.0M |
| Cash from operating activities | C$873.8M | C$896.5M | C$566.9M | C$408.4M | C$418.2M | C$366.6M | C$545.1M | C$530.4M | C$403.3M | C$464.3M |
| Investing activities | ||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | −C$288.5M | −C$444.1M | −C$477.7M | −C$425.3M | −C$362.8M | −C$163.6M | −C$384.0M | −C$338.4M | −C$188.7M | −C$236.0M |
| Investments (net) | — | −C$732.3M | −C$215.4M | −C$400.7M | C$3.4M | −C$343.4M | −C$495.9M | −C$1.38B | −C$169.0M | −C$259.2M |
| Acquisitions & other investing | −C$111.4M | C$444.1M | C$477.7M | C$425.3M | −C$1.88B | C$163.6M | C$384.0M | C$338.4M | C$188.7M | C$236.0M |
| Cash from investing activities | −C$399.9M | −C$732.3M | −C$215.4M | −C$400.7M | −C$2.24B | −C$343.4M | −C$495.9M | −C$1.38B | −C$169.0M | −C$259.2M |
| Financing activities | ||||||||||
| Dividends paid | — | — | — | — | — | C$0 | −C$110.9M | −C$99.9M | −C$89.9M | −C$80.6M |
| Share repurchases & issuance (net) | −C$7.0M | −C$21.3M | C$7.8M | C$16.3M | C$696.1M | C$820.8M | −C$49.6M | −C$94.4M | −C$44.8M | −C$41.7M |
| Net borrowing (repayment) | −C$250.5M | −C$94.7M | −C$403.1M | −C$168.7M | C$552.1M | −C$841.4M | C$563.0M | C$860.6M | −C$20.6M | −C$72.2M |
| Shares issued | C$46.3M | C$67.1M | C$7.8M | C$16.3M | C$696.1M | C$820.8M | C$26.6M | C$18.3M | C$0 | C$0 |
| Other financing | −C$2.0M | −C$900,000 | −C$7.8M | −C$16.5M | −C$688.7M | −C$821.5M | C$14.3M | C$5.7M | C$12.8M | C$13.4M |
| Cash from financing activities | −C$213.2M | −C$49.8M | −C$395.3M | −C$152.6M | C$1.26B | −C$21.3M | C$443.4M | C$690.3M | −C$142.5M | −C$181.1M |
| Summary | ||||||||||
| Net change in cash | C$269.2M | C$133.6M | −C$57.5M | −C$128.5M | −C$580.0M | −C$20.4M | C$500.4M | −C$165.4M | C$106.8M | C$19.1M |
| Cash at end of period | C$553.8M | C$293.7M | C$160.1M | C$217.6M | C$346.1M | C$926.1M | C$946.5M | C$446.1M | C$611.5M | C$504.7M |
| Free cash flow | C$585.2M | C$452.4M | C$89.2M | −C$16.9M | C$55.4M | C$203.0M | C$161.1M | C$192.0M | C$214.6M | C$228.3M |
| Free cash flow margin | 11.9% | 9.6% | 2.1% | −0.4% | 1.6% | 6.8% | 6.3% | 5.8% | 7.6% | 8.4% |
| Capex / revenue | 5.9% | 9.4% | 11.2% | 10.6% | 10.8% | 5.5% | 15.1% | 10.2% | 6.7% | 8.7% |
| Operating cash flow / net income | 2.78 | 2.16 | — | 1.76 | 2.79 | — | 1.71 | 1.56 | 1.13 | 1.81 |
| Jun '26 | Mar '26 | Sep '25 | Jun '25 | Mar '25 | Dec '24 | Sep '24 | Jun '24 | Mar '24 | Dec '23 | Sep '23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating activities | |||||||||||
| Net income | C$32.6M | C$73.3M | C$53.1M | C$60.2M | C$94.4M | C$171.2M | C$54.8M | C$35.3M | −C$372.6M | C$59.1M | C$61.1M |
| Depreciation & amortization | C$120.5M | C$117.2M | C$114.0M | C$113.7M | C$76.8M | C$106.3M | C$100.1M | C$71.5M | C$71.0M | C$95.2M | C$91.2M |
| Stock-based compensation | C$12.0M | C$5.4M | C$6.5M | C$19.5M | C$1.8M | C$2.8M | C$4.3M | C$16.3M | −C$3.8M | C$3.5M | C$14.2M |
| Change in working capital | C$19.0M | −C$46.1M | C$20.0M | −C$204.5M | C$61.8M | C$203.8M | C$44.5M | −C$102.4M | C$124.4M | C$72.2M | C$67.1M |
| Other non-cash items | −C$9.0M | C$55.0M | −C$30.0M | −C$4.2M | −C$10.6M | −C$59.5M | −C$41.6M | −C$22.4M | C$344.8M | −C$9.2M | −C$53.4M |
| Cash from operating activities | C$175.1M | C$204.7M | C$163.6M | −C$15.3M | C$224.2M | C$424.6M | C$162.1M | −C$1.8M | C$163.9M | C$220.8M | C$180.2M |
| Investing activities | |||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | −C$51.7M | −C$42.8M | −C$62.9M | −C$129.3M | −C$75.7M | −C$114.9M | −C$81.4M | −C$67.7M | −C$67.7M | −C$119.1M | −C$94.4M |
| Investments (net) | — | — | −C$104.2M | −C$120.6M | −C$128.6M | −C$419.9M | −C$75.2M | −C$108.6M | C$142.2M | −C$126.6M | −C$97.9M |
| Acquisitions & other investing | −C$19.4M | −C$26.6M | C$82.3M | C$129.3M | C$115.0M | C$114.9M | C$81.4M | C$89.2M | C$25.4M | C$119.1M | C$94.4M |
| Cash from investing activities | −C$71.1M | −C$69.4M | −C$84.8M | −C$120.6M | −C$89.4M | −C$419.9M | −C$75.2M | −C$87.0M | C$100.0M | −C$126.6M | −C$97.9M |
| Financing activities | |||||||||||
| Share repurchases & issuance (net) | −C$39.0M | −C$3.1M | −C$1.7M | C$10.0M | C$45.8M | C$28.9M | −C$9.6M | −C$8.5M | — | — | C$0 |
| Net borrowing (repayment) | −C$61.4M | −C$48.9M | −C$110.9M | C$9.7M | −C$226.5M | C$89.3M | −C$48.7M | — | — | — | −C$58.2M |
| Shares issued | C$10.3M | C$4.3M | C$6.7M | C$10.0M | C$16.9M | C$26.4M | C$2.6M | C$21.2M | C$200,000 | C$700,000 | C$3.5M |
| Other financing | −C$600,000 | −C$315,775 | C$29.4M | −C$11.3M | C$18.2M | −C$29.8M | C$0 | C$60.9M | −C$238.7M | −C$139.6M | C$0 |
| Cash from financing activities | −C$90.7M | −C$48.0M | −C$76.5M | C$18.4M | −C$145.6M | C$114.8M | −C$55.7M | C$73.6M | −C$238.5M | −C$138.9M | −C$54.7M |
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Net change in cash | C$16.3M | C$82.9M | C$2.6M | −C$122.5M | −C$6.1M | C$122.8M | C$36.5M | −C$13.5M | C$24.3M | −C$57.0M | C$28.7M |
| Cash at end of period | C$568.7M | C$553.8M | C$128.3M | C$171.2M | C$204.1M | C$302.5M | C$179.7M | C$104.6M | C$118.2M | C$124.5M | C$181.5M |
| Free cash flow | C$123.4M | C$161.9M | C$100.7M | −C$144.6M | C$148.5M | C$309.7M | C$80.7M | −C$69.4M | C$96.2M | C$101.7M | C$85.8M |
| Free cash flow margin | 10.5% | 12.2% | 8.1% | −13.2% | 11.6% | 25.3% | 7.1% | −6.5% | 8.5% | 9.3% | 8.2% |
| Capex / revenue | 4.4% | 3.2% | 5.1% | 11.8% | 5.9% | 9.4% | 7.2% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 10.9% | 9.0% |
| Operating cash flow / net income | 5.37 | 2.79 | 3.08 | −0.25 | 2.37 | 2.48 | 2.96 | −0.05 | — | 3.74 | 2.95 |
Negative numbers are cash paid out. Quarterly columns are labeled by the month the quarter ended. Figures in Canadian dollars as reported; data from EODHD.
CAE cash generation
In fiscal 2026 (ended March 31, 2026), CAE generated C$873.8 million of cash from operations (down 2.5%) and spent C$288.5 million on capital expenditures, leaving free cash flow of C$585.2 million, 11.9% of revenue. It returned C$7.0 million to shareholders through dividends (C$0) and net share buybacks (C$7.0 million). Cash and equivalents rose by C$269.2 million over the year.
Related: CAE income statement, CAE balance sheet. See the CAE stock overview for the latest quote and news.
CAE cash flow FAQ
What is CAE's free cash flow?
CAE's free cash flow was C$585.2 million in fiscal 2026: C$873.8 million of operating cash flow minus C$288.5 million of capital expenditures It was C$452.4 million a year earlier..
How much cash does CAE generate from operations?
CAE generated C$873.8 million of cash from operating activities in fiscal 2026, 2.78 times its net income of C$313.9 million.
How much does CAE spend on capital expenditures?
CAE spent C$288.5 million on capital expenditures in fiscal 2026, 5.9% of revenue, compared with C$444.1 million the year before.
How much stock does CAE buy back?
CAE spent C$7.0 million on net share repurchases in fiscal 2026.