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.

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Sunday, June 08, 2008

Florida Resident Wins First HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2008(SM)

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BRADENTON, Fla., June 8, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----"Forever, it will change my life forever ... in a good way," said a jubilant Marsha Coulthard when learned she was the winner of the first ever HGTV Green Home located in the new development of Tradition Hilton Head, South Carolina. Coulthard, a 43-year old medical billing clerk and green enthusiast from Bradenton, Florida, was at home with her son and parents when HGTV's Chi-Lan Lieu knocked on the door to let her know that she won the HGTV Green Home grand-prize package valued at approximately $850,000. Her excitement at receiving the news was televised on the HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2008 special on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080608/CLSU001 )

"I'm so excited. I can't tell you," said Coulthard. "I entered almost every day trying to win the home."

Coulthard, an avid HGTV viewer whose name was drawn from more than 21 million entries, previously lived in nearby Bluffton, S.C., and is excited for a chance to return to the area. Her excitement about the home is not only the location, but also the fact that it is green as she makes an effort to recycle, reduce and reuse. Her grand-prize package includes the new, eco-friendly and fully furnished low-country style cottage with just over 2,000 square feet along with a 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid.

"We were thrilled with the response to the first annual HGTV Green Home," said Jim Samples, president of HGTV. "The number of entries far exceeded our expectations and demonstrated that our viewers have an interest in pursuing a greener lifestyle. It is incredibly gratifying to HGTV to see that consumers turn to both the network and to HGTV.com as resources for accessible and eco-friendly approaches to living."

Located in Tradition Hilton Head of South Carolina, a 5,300-acre master-planned community near the popular beach resort of Hilton Head, the HGTV Green Home includes three bedrooms and two and a half baths and features both construction and design elements that are known to contribute to an energy efficient, cleaner and even healthier living environment.

"Tradition Hilton Head was the perfect community for our first-ever HGTV Green Home," said Samples. We wanted to select a community that demonstrated that you can live responsibly in a desirable location with modern amenities and the response to the giveaway indicated that we were successful."

About the HGTV Green Home

The HGTV Green Home received a significant Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. LEED for Homes, a voluntary rating system, is a project of the U.S. Green Building Council, and Gold LEED certification means that the HGTV Green Home meets stringent standards for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and innovative design. Online at HGTV.com/greenhome, viewers can still learn about the materials and processes that make the home green, and take a 360 degree virtual tour of the home. Whether constructing a new home or remodeling a current one, they can pick up green-building advice plus tips for earth-friendly decorating. HGTV's sponsor partners included: Shaw Industries, Inc., Sears, General Motors, SCJ, Kohler, Caesarstone and Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.

About HGTV

HGTV, America's leader in home and lifestyle programming, is distributed to more than 95 million U.S. households and is one of cable's top-rated networks. HGTV's website, HGTV.com, is the nation's leading online home-and-garden destination that attracts an average of 5.0 million unique visitors per month. HGTV owns 33 percent of HGTV Canada and provides much of the Canadian network's daily programming. The network's branded programming also can be seen in 125 territories across all seven continents and its selected programming is available to service men and women on board Navy ships and through American Forces Radio & Television Service (AFRTS) which services more than 1,000 outlets in over 175 countries. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville and New York, HGTV is wholly owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP), which also operates Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living TV Network, and Great American Country.

SOURCE HGTV

http://www.hgtv.com

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