Clearwater Paper Corporation (CLW) Cash Flow Statement
Where CLW’s cash came from and went, 2025
December 31, 2025 · U.S. dollars- Cash from operations
- $12,300 −100.0% vs 2024
- Capital expenditures
- $88,800 0.0% of revenue
- Free cash flow
- −$76,500 −0.0% margin
- Returned to shareholders
- $17.2M
- Change in cash
- −$48,900 cash at year-end $30,700
Drawn to scale: where the cash came from and how it was used. Hover for values.
CLW operating cash flow, capex and free cash flow
CLW cash flow trends, 2016–2025
| Metric | Trend | Then | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating cash flow | $172.8M2016 | $12,3002025 | −65.4%/yr | |
| Capital expenditures | $155.3M2016 | $88,8002025 | −56.4%/yr | |
| Free cash flow | $17.4M2016 | −$76,5002025 | — | |
| Free cash flow margin | 1.0%2016 | −0.0%2025 | −1.0 pts | |
| Operating cash flow / net income | 3.492016 | 0.312024 | −3.17 | |
| Stock-based compensation | $12.4M2016 | $3,8002025 | −59.3%/yr | |
| Dividends paid | $02016 | $02017 | — | |
| Share buybacks (net) | $65.3M2016 | $17.2M2025 | −13.8%/yr | |
| Capex / revenue | 9.0%2016 | 0.0%2025 | −8.9 pts |
Change is the average annual growth (CAGR) or the difference between the first and latest year.
CLW cash flow by activity
CLW net income vs operating cash flow
Operating cash flow above net income usually means earnings are backed by cash (depreciation and stock-based pay are non-cash expenses).
CLW cash flow statement
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating activities | ||||||||||
| Net income | −$53,000 | $196.3M | $107.7M | $46.0M | −$28.1M | $77.1M | −$5.6M | −$143.8M | $97.3M | $49.6M |
| Depreciation & amortization | $92.4M | $69.8M | $40.7M | $103.3M | $105.0M | $111.0M | $115.6M | $101.9M | $105.0M | $91.1M |
| Stock-based compensation | $3,800 | $5.6M | $9.9M | $12.7M | $9.1M | $10.5M | $3.8M | $3.3M | $3.6M | $12.4M |
| Change in working capital | −$99.5M | $18.6M | −$15.1M | −$16.4M | −$25.3M | $1.0M | −$68.5M | $28.6M | $11.2M | $1.7M |
| Other non-cash items | $7.2M | −$228.9M | $47.5M | $4.6M | $35.7M | $47.4M | $10.3M | $178.8M | −$39.5M | $18.0M |
| Cash from operating activities | $12,300 | $61.4M | $190.7M | $150.2M | $96.4M | $247.0M | $55.6M | $168.9M | $177.7M | $172.8M |
| Investing activities | ||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | −$88,800 | −$116.6M | −$73.7M | −$33.5M | −$38.4M | −$39.6M | −$140.1M | −$295.7M | −$199.7M | −$155.3M |
| Investments (net) | — | $167.7M | −$62.1M | −$33.5M | −$25.1M | −$39.6M | −$140.1M | −$224.0M | −$198.8M | $250,000 |
| Acquisitions & other investing | −$11,600 | $116.6M | $62.1M | $33.5M | $38.4M | $39.6M | $140.1M | $295.7M | $199.7M | −$67.4M |
| Cash from investing activities | −$100,400 | $167.7M | −$73.7M | −$33.5M | −$25.1M | −$39.6M | −$140.1M | −$224.0M | −$198.8M | −$222.5M |
| Financing activities | ||||||||||
| Dividends paid | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $0 | $0 |
| Share repurchases & issuance (net) | −$17.2M | −$10.0M | −$17.9M | −$5.0M | −$1.7M | −$700,000 | $0 | $0 | −$4.9M | −$65.3M |
| Net borrowing (repayment) | $63.4M | −$177.7M | −$103.6M | −$81.8M | −$81.0M | −$192.3M | $82.4M | $630.8M | $298.3M | $1.27B |
| Shares issued | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other financing | −$46.2M | −$3.7M | −$7.9M | −$1.8M | $700,000 | $100,000 | −$400,000 | −$565.4M | −$279.5M | −$1.14B |
| Cash from financing activities | $39,300 | −$191.4M | −$129.4M | −$88.6M | −$82.0M | −$192.9M | $82.0M | $65.4M | $13.9M | $67.1M |
| Summary | ||||||||||
| Net change in cash | −$48,900 | $37.6M | −$12.4M | $28.2M | −$10.7M | $14.5M | −$2.5M | $6.7M | −$7.3M | $17.4M |
| Cash at end of period | $30,700 | $79.6M | $42.0M | $54.4M | $26.2M | $36.9M | $22.4M | $22.5M | $15.7M | $23.0M |
| Free cash flow | −$76,500 | −$55.2M | $117.0M | $116.7M | $58.0M | $207.4M | −$84.5M | −$126.8M | −$22.1M | $17.4M |
| Free cash flow margin | −0.0% | −4.0% | 10.3% | 5.6% | 3.3% | 11.1% | −4.8% | −7.4% | −1.3% | 1.0% |
| Capex / revenue | 0.0% | 8.4% | 6.5% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 8.0% | 17.2% | 11.5% | 9.0% |
| Operating cash flow / net income | — | 0.31 | 1.77 | 3.27 | — | 3.20 | — | — | 1.83 | 3.49 |
| Jun '26 | Mar '26 | Dec '25 | Sep '25 | Jun '25 | Mar '25 | Dec '24 | Sep '24 | Jun '24 | Mar '24 | Dec '23 | Sep '23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating activities | ||||||||||||
| Net income | −$21.5M | −$12.8M | −$53,000 | −$53.3M | $2.7M | −$6.3M | −$19.6M | $5.8M | −$25.8M | $17.2M | $17.6M | $36.6M |
| Depreciation & amortization | $23.2M | $23.4M | $23.7M | $23.7M | $23.0M | $22.0M | $22.2M | $24.2M | $30.9M | $23.2M | $24.8M | $24.4M |
| Stock-based compensation | $1.8M | $600,000 | −$300,000 | $599,999 | $2.5M | $1.0M | −$1.6M | −$900,000 | $4.7M | $3.3M | $2.9M | $3.5M |
| Change in working capital | $72.2M | −$7.6M | −$44.5M | $20.0M | −$62.1M | −$12.9M | −$4.8M | −$8.2M | $13.7M | $17.9M | $22.7M | $27.8M |
| Other non-cash items | −$6.7M | −$3.1M | $26.2M | $43.0M | $5.7M | −$2.3M | −$31.3M | −$4.7M | −$2.4M | −$2.4M | −$2.3M | −$4.1M |
| Cash from operating activities | $69.0M | $500,000 | $5.0M | $34.0M | −$28.2M | $1.5M | −$35.1M | $16.2M | $21.1M | $59.2M | $65.7M | $88.2M |
| Investing activities | ||||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | −$9.6M | −$9.1M | −$14.9M | −$18.3M | −$22.9M | −$32.7M | −$33.0M | −$47.0M | −$18.1M | −$18.5M | −$25.2M | −$14.2M |
| Investments (net) | — | — | — | −$30.4M | −$22.9M | −$32.7M | $959.5M | −$47.0M | −$726.3M | −$18.5M | −$25.2M | −$14.2M |
| Acquisitions & other investing | $0 | $0 | $500,000 | $18.3M | $22.9M | $32.7M | $33.0M | $47.0M | $18.1M | $18.5M | $25.2M | $14.2M |
| Cash from investing activities | −$9.6M | −$9.1M | −$14.4M | −$30.4M | −$22.9M | −$32.7M | $959.5M | −$47.0M | −$726.3M | −$18.5M | −$25.2M | −$14.2M |
| Financing activities | ||||||||||||
| Share repurchases & issuance (net) | −$100,000 | $0 | −$17.2M | −$2.1M | −$4.2M | −$10.9M | −$4.0M | −$2.5M | −$3.0M | −$500,000 | −$2.8M | −$5.0M |
| Net borrowing (repayment) | −$100,000 | $14.9M | $9.9M | $6.8M | $46.9M | −$200,000 | −$880.3M | $29.6M | — | — | — | −$200,000 |
| Shares issued | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other financing | −$200,000 | −$600,000 | $13.1M | −$20.5M | $11.0M | $6.7M | $4.0M | −$300,000 | $692.7M | −$27.1M | −$105.9M | −$300,000 |
| Cash from financing activities | −$400,000 | $14.3M | $5.8M | −$15.8M | $53.7M | −$4.4M | −$880.3M | $26.8M | $689.7M | −$27.6M | −$108.7M | −$5.5M |
| Summary | ||||||||||||
| Net change in cash | $58.9M | $5.8M | −$3.7M | −$12.3M | $2.7M | −$35.6M | $44.1M | −$4.1M | −$15.6M | $13.2M | −$68.2M | $68.5M |
| Cash at end of period | $95.4M | $36.5M | $30.7M | $34.4M | $46.7M | $44.0M | $79.6M | $35.5M | $39.6M | $55.2M | $42.0M | $110.2M |
| Free cash flow | $59.4M | −$8.6M | −$9.9M | $15.7M | −$51.1M | −$31.2M | −$68.1M | −$30.8M | $3.0M | $40.7M | $40.5M | $74.0M |
| Free cash flow margin | 15.8% | −2.4% | −2.6% | 3.9% | −13.0% | −8.2% | −17.6% | −7.8% | 0.9% | 8.2% | 15.1% | 26.5% |
| Capex / revenue | 2.6% | 2.5% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 5.8% | 8.6% | 8.5% | 12.0% | 5.3% | 3.7% | 9.4% | 5.1% |
| Operating cash flow / net income | — | — | — | — | −10.44 | — | — | 2.79 | — | 3.44 | 3.73 | 2.41 |
Negative numbers are cash paid out. Quarterly columns are labeled by the month the quarter ended. Figures in U.S. dollars as reported; data from EODHD.
CLW cash generation
In fiscal 2025 (ended December 31, 2025), Clearwater Paper generated $0.0 million of cash from operations (down 100.0%) and spent $0.1 million on capital expenditures, leaving free cash flow of -$0.1 million, −0.0% of revenue. It returned $17.2 million to shareholders through dividends ($0) and net share buybacks ($17.2 million). Cash and equivalents fell by $0.0 million over the year.
Related: CLW income statement, CLW balance sheet. See the CLW stock overview for the latest quote and news.
CLW cash flow FAQ
What is Clearwater Paper's free cash flow?
Clearwater Paper's free cash flow was -$0.1 million in fiscal 2025: $0.0 million of operating cash flow minus $0.1 million of capital expenditures It was -$55.2 million a year earlier..
How much cash does Clearwater Paper generate from operations?
Clearwater Paper generated $0.0 million of cash from operating activities in fiscal 2025.
How much does Clearwater Paper spend on capital expenditures?
Clearwater Paper spent $0.1 million on capital expenditures in fiscal 2025, 0.0% of revenue, compared with $116.6 million the year before.
How much stock does Clearwater Paper buy back?
Clearwater Paper spent $17.2 million on net share repurchases in fiscal 2025.