Capital One Financial CorporationCOF
NYSE•Financial Services•Credit Services
Understand cash generation quality and how management allocates capital.
Free cash flow was $5.47B in the latest quarter (26.6% increase YoY). FCF margin is 7.3%. Shares outstanding increased by 62.5% year-over-year, indicating dilution (potentially from stock compensation or capital raises). Free cash flow is the lifeblood of a business — it funds dividends, buybacks, debt reduction, and reinvestment without relying on external capital.
Free cash flow, earnings quality, and capital allocation