MarketXLS

Capital Expenditure (Historical)

Returns the historical capital expenditure (CapEx) - cash spent on property, plant, and equipment. This is a key input for free cash flow calculation.

Parameters

Parameter Required Description
Symbol Yes Stock ticker symbol (e.g., AAPL, MSFT)
Year Yes Fiscal year (2023) or period code (lq, ly)
Quarter No Quarter number 1-4 (default: 1)
TTM No Set to "TTM" for trailing twelve months

Period Codes

Code Description
lq Last reported quarter
lq-1 One quarter ago
ly Last fiscal year
ly-1 Previous fiscal year
lt Last twelve months (TTM)

Notes

  • Usually reported as negative (cash outflow)
  • Key component of free cash flow: FCF = CFO - CapEx
  • Higher CapEx indicates capital-intensive business
  • Compare to depreciation for maintenance vs growth CapEx

Syntax

=hf_Capital_Expenditure(Symbol, Year, [Quarter], [TTM])
Excel Desktop (Windows)

Parameters

symbolstringRequired

Stock ticker symbol

yearstringRequired

Fiscal year or period code (e.g., 2023, lq, ly)

quarterstring

Calendar quarter (1-4)

TTMstring

Set to 'TTM' for trailing twelve months

Returns

number

Capital expenditure amount (typically negative)

Examples

=hf_Capital_Expenditure("AAPL", 2023, 4)
Q4 2023 CapEx
=hf_Capital_Expenditure("MSFT", "ly")
Last fiscal year
=hf_Capital_Expenditure("AMZN", 2023, , "TTM")
Trailing 12 months
=hf_Capital_Expenditure(A1, B1, C1)
From cell references

When to Use

  • Calculating free cash flow
  • Analyzing capital intensity
  • Comparing CapEx to depreciation
  • Understanding growth investment
  • CapEx-to-revenue ratio analysis

When NOT to Use

Scenario Use Instead
Need total investing cash flow hf_Net_Cash_Flow_from_Investing()
Need depreciation hf_Depreciation_Amortization_and_Accretion()
Need PP&E balance Balance sheet assets functions
Need operating cash flow hf_Net_Cash_Flow_from_Operations()

Common Issues & FAQ

How do I calculate free cash flow?

FCF = Operating Cash Flow - CapEx (use absolute value): =hf_Net_Cash_Flow_from_Operations("AAPL",2023) + hf_Capital_Expenditure("AAPL",2023) (since CapEx is negative)

Why is CapEx negative?

CapEx is reported as a cash outflow (money spent), so it's negative in the cash flow statement.

What's maintenance vs growth CapEx?

Maintenance CapEx roughly equals depreciation (replacing worn assets). Growth CapEx is the excess above depreciation (expanding capacity).

Related Formulas

More MarketXLS Historical Fundamentals formulas you can use in the same worksheet:

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