Which of the following best describes Free Cash Flow?

Free Cash Flow (FCF) is defined as the cash generated by a company's operations that is available for distribution to all stakeholders, including creditors, equity holders, and shareholders, after the company has made all necessary capital expenditures for maintaining and expanding its asset base.

This concept is crucial for evaluating the financial health of a company because it essentially reflects the liquidity available to pursue opportunities that enhance shareholder value, such as paying dividends, repaying debt, or reinvesting in the company.

The key components that contribute to the calculation of Free Cash Flow are cash produced by operations, which indicates the firm's ability to generate cash from its core business, and capital expenditures, which are the funds used to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets like property, plant, and equipment. By subtracting these capital expenditures from cash generated by operations, we arrive at FCF, illustrating the actual cash available after necessary investments have been accounted for.

This understanding makes it clear why this particular definition of Free Cash Flow effectively captures its essence in the context of financial analysis and corporate evaluation.