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This excerpt taken from the AMZN 10-K filed Jan 29, 2010. Non-GAAP Financial Measures Regulation G, Conditions for Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures, and other SEC regulations define and prescribe the conditions for use of certain non-GAAP financial information. Our measure of Free cash flow meets the definition of a non-GAAP financial measure. Free cash flow is used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP and free cash flow should not be relied upon to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures. Free cash flow, which we reconcile to Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, is cash flow from operations reduced by Purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and website development. We use free cash flow, and ratios based on it, to conduct and evaluate our business because, although it is similar to cash flow from operations, we believe it typically will present a more conservative measure of cash flows since purchases of fixed assets are a necessary component of ongoing operations. Free cash flow has limitations due to the fact that it does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. For example, free cash flow does not incorporate payments made on capital lease obligations or cash payments for business acquisitions. Therefore, we believe it is important to view free cash flow as a complement to our entire consolidated statements of cash flows. The following is a reconciliation of free cash flow to the most comparable GAAP measure, Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities for 2009, 2008, and 2007 (in millions):
In addition, we provide information regarding our operating expenses with and without stock-based compensation. We provide this information to show the impact of stock-based compensation, which is non-cash and excluded from our internal operating plans and measurement of financial performance (although we consider the dilutive impact to our shareholders when awarding stock-based compensation and value such awards accordingly). In addition, unlike other centrally-incurred operating costs, stock-based compensation is not allocated to segment results and therefore excluding it from operating expense is consistent with our segment presentation in the footnotes to our consolidated financial statements. Operating expenses without stock-based compensation have limitations due to the fact that they do not include all expenses primarily related to our workforce. More specifically, if we did not pay out a portion of our compensation in the form of stock-based compensation, our cash salary expense included in the Fulfillment, Technology and content, Marketing, and General and administrative line items would be higher.
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Table of ContentsThis excerpt taken from the AMZN 8-K filed Jan 28, 2010. Non-GAAP Financial Measures Regulation G, Conditions for Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures, and other SEC regulations define and prescribe the conditions for use of certain non-GAAP financial information. Our measure of Free cash flow meets the definition of a non-GAAP financial measure. Free cash flow is used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP and free cash flow should not be relied upon to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures. Free cash flow, which we reconcile to Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, is cash flow from operations reduced by Purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and website development. We use free cash flow, and ratios based on it, to conduct and evaluate our business because, although it is similar to cash flow from operations, we believe it typically will present a more conservative measure of cash flows since purchases of fixed assets are a necessary component of ongoing operations. Free cash flow has limitations due to the fact that it does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. For example, free cash flow does not incorporate payments made on capital lease obligations or cash payments for business acquisitions. Therefore, we believe it is important to view free cash flow as a complement to our entire consolidated statements of cash flows. For a quantitative reconciliation of free cash flow to the most directly comparable amounts reported in accordance with GAAP, see Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics in Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K. Return on Invested Capital is a ratio based on free cash flow, and as such, is also a non-GAAP financial measure. Return on invested capital is trailing twelve months free cash flow divided by average Total assets minus Current liabilities (excluding the current portion, if any, of our Long Term Debt), over the most recent five quarter ends. We believe return on invested capital is a useful measure in assessing whether we are utilizing our capital efficiently. As with free cash flow, return on invested capital is used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP and return on invested capital should not be relied upon to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures. We include return on invested capital, and the denominator used to calculate it (called Invested Capital) in Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics in Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||