CAE Inc. (CAE) Key Metrics
CAE key metrics, FY2017–FY2026
Fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 · Canadian dollarsCAE returns How much profit the business earns on the capital it uses.
CAE financial health Debt, liquidity and how easily interest is covered.
CAE efficiency & capital use Working capital cycle and where the cash goes.
CAE returns on capital
Net income (ROE, ROA) or after-tax operating income (ROIC) divided by the average of the opening and closing balance.
CAE debt vs cash
Debt includes short- and long-term borrowings and, where reported, lease liabilities.
CAE cash returned to shareholders
CAE key metrics in Canadian dollars
FY2017–FY2026| FY2026 | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 | FY2019 | FY2018 | FY2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns & profitability | ||||||||||
| Return on equity (ROE) | 6.1% | 8.9% | −7.0% | 5.2% | 4.0% | −1.9% | 10.7% | 14.3% | 16.1% | 12.9% |
| Return on invested capital (ROIC) | 6.3% | 7.7% | −2.0% | 5.1% | 4.9% | 0.9% | 7.5% | 11.4% | 14.9% | 11.8% |
| Return on assets (ROA) | 2.8% | 3.9% | −3.0% | 2.2% | 1.5% | −0.6% | 3.3% | 5.1% | 6.3% | 4.9% |
| Return on tangible assets | 4.2% | 5.5% | −4.6% | 3.5% | 2.5% | −0.7% | 4.8% | 6.4% | 7.4% | 5.7% |
| Free cash flow margin | 11.9% | 9.6% | 2.1% | −0.4% | 1.6% | 6.8% | 6.3% | 5.8% | 7.6% | 8.4% |
| Income quality (OCF / net income) | 2.78 | 2.21 | — | 1.83 | 2.95 | — | 2.49 | 1.61 | 1.16 | 1.85 |
| Financial health | ||||||||||
| Total debt | C$3.26B | C$3.47B | C$3.07B | C$3.25B | C$3.05B | C$2.35B | C$2.43B | C$2.33B | C$1.26B | C$1.26B |
| Cash & short-term investments | C$553.8M | C$293.7M | C$160.1M | C$217.6M | C$346.1M | C$926.1M | C$665.0M | C$446.1M | C$611.5M | C$504.7M |
| Net debt | C$2.70B | C$3.18B | C$2.91B | C$3.03B | C$2.70B | C$1.43B | C$1.76B | C$1.88B | C$649.4M | C$750.7M |
| Debt / equity | 0.61 | 0.71 | 0.73 | 0.72 | 0.76 | 0.75 | 1.39 | 1.00 | 0.55 | 0.62 |
| Debt / assets | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.27 | 0.41 | 0.32 | 0.22 | 0.23 |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 2.49 | 2.83 | 17.70 | 3.86 | 4.68 | 4.06 | 3.08 | 2.76 | 1.01 | 1.33 |
| Current ratio | 0.96 | 0.80 | 0.85 | 0.99 | 1.03 | 1.28 | 1.36 | 1.12 | 1.56 | 1.51 |
| Quick ratio | 0.77 | 0.58 | 0.61 | 0.74 | 0.78 | 1.04 | 1.06 | 0.83 | 1.28 | 1.18 |
| Interest coverage | 2.7 | 3.8 | -1.0 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 6.2 |
| Working capital | −C$96.3M | −C$542.9M | −C$351.9M | −C$11.7M | C$57.4M | C$745.3M | C$524.3M | C$223.4M | C$740.2M | C$645.8M |
| Invested capital | C$8.02B | C$8.07B | C$7.14B | C$7.54B | C$6.71B | C$4.57B | C$3.51B | C$4.21B | C$2.95B | C$2.77B |
| Tangible asset value | C$1.70B | C$1.10B | C$1.03B | C$538.1M | C$290.3M | C$1.16B | C$366.6M | C$382.1M | C$1.31B | C$1.14B |
| Net current asset value | −C$3.50B | −C$4.09B | −C$3.52B | −C$3.61B | −C$3.34B | −C$2.16B | −C$2.18B | −C$2.64B | −C$1.29B | −C$1.35B |
| Capital allocation | ||||||||||
| Dividends paid | — | — | — | — | — | C$0 | C$110.9M | C$99.9M | C$89.9M | C$80.6M |
| Share buybacks (net) | C$7.0M | C$21.3M | C$0 | C$0 | C$0 | C$0 | C$49.6M | C$94.4M | C$44.8M | C$41.7M |
| Dividend payout ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | 50.7% | 30.3% | 25.9% | 32.0% |
| Dividends + buybacks / free cash flow | 1.2% | 4.7% | 0.0% | — | 0.0% | 0.0% | 99.6% | 101.2% | 62.8% | 53.6% |
| Capex / revenue | 5.9% | 9.4% | 11.2% | 10.6% | 10.8% | 5.5% | 15.1% | 10.2% | 6.7% | 8.7% |
| Capex / operating cash flow | 33.0% | 49.5% | 84.3% | 104.1% | 86.8% | 44.6% | 70.4% | 63.8% | 46.8% | 50.8% |
| Capex / depreciation | 0.64 | 1.07 | 1.27 | 1.24 | 1.17 | 0.51 | 1.26 | 1.56 | 0.95 | 1.11 |
| Stock-based compensation / revenue | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| R&D / revenue | 1.9% | 2.6% | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% |
| SG&A / revenue | 12.7% | 12.0% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 14.7% | 13.4% | 17.2% | 12.6% | 13.5% | 13.5% |
| Efficiency | ||||||||||
| Days sales outstanding | 86.2 | 91.1 | 108.9 | 116.3 | 120.1 | 112.6 | 125.6 | 97.0 | 111.9 | 120.5 |
| Days of inventory on hand | 53.5 | 62.6 | 67.5 | 68.8 | 88.2 | 89.0 | 97.5 | 70.5 | 74.0 | 67.0 |
| Days payables outstanding | 61.6 | 67.6 | 63.2 | 59.7 | 67.8 | 69.2 | 84.5 | 59.8 | 60.3 | 63.3 |
| Cash conversion cycle (days) | 78.1 | 86.1 | 113.2 | 125.4 | 140.5 | 132.3 | 138.7 | 107.7 | 125.5 | 124.1 |
| Receivables turnover | 4.23 | 4.01 | 3.35 | 3.14 | 3.04 | 3.24 | 2.91 | 3.76 | 3.26 | 3.03 |
| Payables turnover | 5.93 | 5.40 | 5.77 | 6.11 | 5.38 | 5.27 | 4.32 | 6.10 | 6.05 | 5.76 |
| Inventory turnover | 6.82 | 5.83 | 5.41 | 5.31 | 4.14 | 4.10 | 3.74 | 5.18 | 4.93 | 5.45 |
| Asset turnover | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.42 | 0.40 | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.39 | 0.51 | 0.51 | 0.52 |
| Average receivables | C$1.16B | C$1.18B | C$1.28B | C$1.28B | C$1.11B | C$919.6M | C$876.1M | C$878.2M | C$867.4M | C$892.5M |
| Average payables | C$604.7M | C$631.4M | C$541.9M | C$479.1M | C$449.1M | C$420.5M | C$420.1M | C$387.2M | C$322.9M | C$328.5M |
| Average inventory | C$525.5M | C$584.3M | C$578.5M | C$551.6M | C$583.8M | C$540.4M | C$485.0M | C$456.1M | C$395.8M | C$347.3M |
| Intangibles / total assets | 33.1% | 34.5% | 33.3% | 38.8% | 39.6% | 23.5% | 24.2% | 28.3% | 18.5% | 17.6% |
Computed from CAE's annual financial statements (latest annual report filed June 22, 2026) and the closing share price on each fiscal year-end, adjusted for stock splits. Figures in Canadian dollars; data from EODHD. Averages use the opening and closing balance of each year.
CAE valuation and financial ratios
CAE earned a return on equity of 6.1% and a return on invested capital of 6.3% in fiscal 2026. It ended the year with C$3.3 billion of debt and C$553.8 million in cash and short-term investments, net debt of C$2.7 billion. It returned C$7.0 million to shareholders: C$0 in dividends and C$7.0 million in share buybacks, 1% of free cash flow.
See the CAE income statement, the CAE chart for price history, or the CAE stock overview for the latest quote and news.
CAE key metrics FAQ
What is CAE's return on equity?
CAE's return on equity (ROE) was 6.1% in fiscal 2026: net income of C$313.9 million on average shareholders' equity of C$5.1 billion.
What is CAE's ROIC?
CAE's return on invested capital was 6.3% in fiscal 2026, using after-tax operating income divided by average debt plus equity minus cash.
How much debt does CAE have?
CAE had total debt of C$3.3 billion at the end of fiscal 2026, a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61 and C$2.7 billion of net debt (2.49 times EBITDA).
Does CAE buy back its shares?
Yes. CAE spent C$7.0 million on net share repurchases in fiscal 2026.
What is CAE's current ratio?
CAE's current ratio was 0.96 at the end of fiscal 2026: current assets were 0.96 times current liabilities.