Cash flow absurdity and Warren Buffett’s Owner Earnings

Core Insights - Understanding cash flow is critical for assessing the financial strength, economic performance, and valuations of companies [3][29] - Financial statements prepared under GAAP complicate the analysis of cash flow, making it difficult for investors to gauge a company's true financial health [4][29] Financial Statements - The key financial statements for investors are the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows, with the latter being the most useful [5][6] - Reported earnings and assets on the Income Statement and Balance Sheet are often misleading due to the treatment of intangible assets [6][29] Cash Flow Statements - Cash flow statements categorize cash flows into operations, investing, and financing, providing a clearer picture of a company's cash management [8] - Cash from Operating Activities is calculated by adjusting Net Income for non-cash items and changes in working capital, leading to cash inflows [12][13] EBITDA and Adjusted Earnings - EBITDA is criticized for ignoring necessary capital expenditures that are essential for maintaining a company's competitive position, leading to potentially misleading assessments of profitability [10][11] - Adjusted EBITDA often excludes real costs, such as stock-based compensation and restructuring expenses, which can distort the true financial picture [18][19] Owner Earnings - Owner Earnings, a concept introduced by Warren Buffett, focuses on the cash generated by a business after accounting for necessary capital expenditures, providing a more accurate measure of a company's value [22][24][26] - This approach emphasizes the importance of cash flow in evaluating a company's performance and intrinsic value, rather than relying solely on GAAP figures [25][29] Economic Value Added (EVA) - EVA is an estimate of a firm's economic profit, calculated by adjusting GAAP accounting figures, but it faces challenges due to the treatment of intangible assets and the complexity of adjustments [31][32] - While EVA can serve as a screening tool, it is not favored as a primary analysis method compared to Owner Earnings [34]