NVIDIA CORP (NVDA) — payout ratio, three ways
Fiscal year ending 2026-01-25 · sector Technology · computed from SEC filings, not taken from a data vendor.
| Basis | Payout | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| GAAP earnings | 0.8% | The figure most screeners publish. |
| Operating cash flow | 0.9% | Worse than the earnings figure, not better: operating cash flow absorbs working capital — inventory, receivables, payables — that earnings do not. |
| Free cash flow | 1.0% | What is left after maintaining the business. |
All bases agree, within a percentage point. No denominator flatters this dividend more than another; there is nothing here that a single headline figure would hide.
The arithmetic
- GAAP earnings — dividends declared per share $0.04 ÷ diluted EPS $4.90
- Operating cash flow — dividends paid $974.0m ÷ operating cash flow $102,718.0m
- Free cash flow — dividends paid $974.0m ÷ (operating cash flow $102,718.0m − capex $6,042.0m)
Where the figures came from
- 10-K filed 2026-02-25 · accession
0001045810-26-000021
Every one is public at sec.gov and free to check. That is the point — you should not have to take my word for any of it.
Computed by an open pipeline reading SEC XBRL directly. If any number here looks wrong to you, tell me — that is more useful to me than agreement.