RAPIDKNOWHOW® · THE DECISION COMPANY™
ONE INVESTOR VALUE RANKING MASTER
FY2025 PRELIMINARY CASH EVIDENCE SCREEN
Reviewed 31 October 2026 · Educational evidence only · NO DEFINITIVE RANKING OR INVESTMENT RECOMMENDATION
ONE QUESTION
Which business turns durable free cash flow into lasting shareholder value after its cost of capital and the price paid?
THE APPROVED 100-POINT METHOD
| Sustainable FCF conversion | 25 |
| Five-year FCF per share growth | 25 |
| ROIC minus WACC | 20 |
| Capital allocation, payouts and leverage | 15 |
| Valuation and margin of safety | 15 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
All company scores and ranks: UNVERIFIED. This screen is not a 100-point scoring exercise.
SEVEN COMPANIES · FY2025 PUBLISHED CASH EVIDENCE
| Company | Published evidence | Scope / source |
|---|---|---|
| Linde | Operating cash flow $10.350bn − capex $5.261bn = $5.089bn simple proxy; adjusted after-tax return on capital 24.2%. | Non-GAAP return; derived cash proxy · Official FY2025 source |
| Siemens | FY2025 free cash flow €10.8bn. | Continuing and discontinued operations · Official FY2025 source |
| Air Liquide | Recurring ROCE 11.2%; comparable FCF UNVERIFIED. | Growth investment and definition require harmonization · Official FY2025 source |
| DHL Group | FCF €2.295bn including M&A; approximately €3.2bn excluding M&A; ROIC 13.9%. | M&A adjustment changes cash comparison · Official FY2025 source |
| BASF | FCF €1.342bn; ROCE 5.8%. | Cyclical industry and investment timing · Official FY2025 source |
| Volkswagen | Automotive Division net cash flow approximately €6.4bn; ROI 4.8% versus 9% required. | Automotive segment, not consolidated Group FCF · Official FY2025 source |
| RWE | FCF −€5.496bn; capex €10.810bn. | High growth capex needs separate treatment · Official FY2025 source |
WHY NO RANK YET?
Group and segment figures, non-GAAP returns, growth capex and M&A are not directly comparable. A defensible ranking needs harmonized five-year FCF per share, WACC, net debt, shareholder distributions, same-cutoff-date market valuations and observed three-/five-year dividend-reinvested TSR. Do not invent missing points or shareholder returns.
ONE DECISION → ONE ACTION
Decision: treat FY2025 as an evidence screen, not a Buy/Sell list. Action: harmonize cash-flow and capital-cost definitions before assigning points.
Explore Investor PowerPost 1 · Volkswagen, Linde, Air Liquide and Investor PowerPost 2 · BASF, Siemens, DHL, RWE.
EXPLORE THE CENTURYCASHFLOW POWERBOOK
RapidKnowHow® · FY2025 company-source evidence, reviewed 31 October 2026. No financial advice, investment rank, or promise of future returns.