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
Examples
=hf_Capital_Expenditure("AAPL", 2023, 4)=hf_Capital_Expenditure("MSFT", "ly")=hf_Capital_Expenditure("AMZN", 2023, , "TTM")=hf_Capital_Expenditure(A1, B1, C1)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
Common Issues & FAQ
Q: How do I calculate free cash flow?
A: 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)
Q: Why is CapEx negative? A: CapEx is reported as a cash outflow (money spent), so it's negative in the cash flow statement.
Q: What's maintenance vs growth CapEx? A: Maintenance CapEx roughly equals depreciation (replacing worn assets). Growth CapEx is the excess above depreciation (expanding capacity).
Get Access to 1 Billion Usable Market data points IN YOUR EXCEL SHEETS WITH EASY TO USE EXCEL FUNCTIONS
Get started today
▶
How does MarketXLS work?