Just as your pulse is checked during a routine physical, free cash flow is used as an indicator of a company's health. It equals the cash brought in from operations minus the money needed to pay the bills. Think about leftover money in your checking account after you pay this month's bills.

Investors and analysts see this leftover money as a gauge of a company's ability to perform. It is available for transactions such as handing out dividends and working on new products.

Some argue free cash flow is wrongly overshadowed by the emphasis often placed on earnings. Earnings numbers can be manipulated and don't always tell the whole story -- and earnings don't mean much if there's nothing left over after a company pays its expenses. Even if you bring in a six-figure salary, but no money left after paying the bills, are you in great financial shape?

You don't have to be Einstein to figure out free cash flow. To calculate the number, subtract the company's expenditures and dividends from its operating cash flow.

If the free cash flow is written in red ink, it doesn't necessarily signal curtains. This is common for young companies looking to grow. It also could be a result of heavy investments, which in the long run could be worth a standing ovation.

Home / Markets / Industries / Finance

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

BellwetherReport.com Analyst Report on CY, IBN, CAR and FO

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TORONTO, Jul 01, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) ----BellwetherReport.com is the leading online financial newsletter for investors seeking top independent and unbiased research. Investors seeking free and unbiased analyst opinions on the companies mentioned in this release are encouraged to sign up to www.bellwetherreport.com for a free subscription to access these reports. Today, we have once again scheduled interviews with a number of the top analysts in North America to get an update feedback from them regarding the current market activity and position of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE: CY), ICICI Bank Limited (NYSE: IBN), Avis Budget Group Inc. (NYSE: CAR) and Fortune Brands Inc. (NYSE: FO).

To receive free access to these interviews and analyst reports sign up to www.bellwetherreport.com by clicking this link. These reports may also be updated reports so you will be able to access the past reports as on the above mentioned companies as well.

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*Please note that analyst reports are conducted daily and immediate sign up is crucial to your success when using these reports*

All analyst reviews will be posted for free under "today's articles" within 24 to 48 hours of the interview being completed.

Each interview will vary and may include, but will not be limited to the following:

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   Unbiased View of the Company -- Short-term Target Prices -- Long-term Resistance and Support Levels -- Analyst Opinions --
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Investors looking to access these interviews are encouraged to sign up now at http://www.bellwetherreport.com/home/registration.php.

Members are also given the opportunity to receive a free "custom stock review" on any equities you currently hold in your portfolio. Simply sign up, and in the members section of www.bellwetherreport.com, you can ask an analyst for his or her opinion of any stocks you currently have in your portfolio by filling out the form under the tab "custom stock review."

Bellwether Report is not affiliated or compensated by any of the above mentioned companies, nor do we own a position in any of the companies.

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SOURCE: Bellwether Report

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   As of Friday, 06-27-2008 23:59, the latest Comtex SmarTrend� Alert, an automated pattern recognition system, indicated a DOWNTREND
   on 06-03-2008 for CAR @ $13.32. As of Friday, 06-27-2008 23:59, the latest Comtex SmarTrend Alert, an automated pattern recognition
   system, indicated a DOWNTREND on 05-28-2008 for CY @ $27.47. As of Friday, 06-27-2008 23:59, the latest Comtex SmarTrend Alert,
   an automated pattern recognition system, indicated a DOWNTREND on 04-24-2008 for FO @ $69.16. For more information on SmarTrend,
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