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Helvetia Holding AG (XSWX:HELN) Free Cash Flow : CHF907 Mil (TTM As of Dec. 2023)


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What is Helvetia Holding AG Free Cash Flow?

Helvetia Holding AG's total free cash flow for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was CHF793 Mil. Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was CHF907 Mil.

Helvetia Holding AG's Free Cash Flow per Share for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was CHF15.18. Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was CHF17.33.

During the past 3 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 41.90% per year. 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, Helvetia Holding AG's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 251.90% per year. The lowest was -85.50% per year. And the median was 13.00% per year.


Helvetia Holding AG Free Cash Flow Historical Data

The historical data trend for Helvetia Holding AG'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.

Helvetia Holding AG Free Cash Flow Chart

Helvetia Holding AG Annual Data
Trend Dec14 Dec15 Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23
Free Cash Flow
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 496.10 307.30 563.50 -135.10 907.30

Helvetia Holding AG Semi-Annual Data
Jun14 Dec14 Jun15 Dec15 Jun16 Dec16 Jun17 Dec17 Jun18 Dec18 Jun19 Dec19 Jun20 Dec20 Jun21 Dec21 Jun22 Dec22 Jun23 Dec23
Free Cash Flow Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 171.70 -270.40 135.30 114.60 792.70

Helvetia Holding AG 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.

Helvetia Holding AG'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
=1014.9+-107.6
=907

Helvetia Holding AG'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
=849.4+-56.7
=793

Free Cash Flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 adds up the semi-annually data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was CHF907 Mil.

* 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.


Helvetia Holding AG  (XSWX:HELN) 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, Helvetia Holding AG's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % (Dec23)=Normalized Free Cash Flow/Price+5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=7.5515/115.9+-0.0004
=6.48 %

* 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.


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.


Helvetia Holding AG Free Cash Flow Related Terms

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Helvetia Holding AG (XSWX:HELN) Business Description

Traded in Other Exchanges
Address
Dufourstrasse 40, Saint Gallen, CHE, CH-9001
Helvetia Holding AG is a diversified insurance company. The company operates multiple segments including life, nonlife, and other activities. The company's life segment offers life insurance, pension plans, and annuities and generates most of the company's revenue. Helvetia derives the vast majority of its revenue within Switzerland, followed by Germany and Italy. Helvetia's business focuses on retail customers, as well as corporations of all sizes. It considers merger and acquisition investment as a component of its operational growth strategy.

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