CWK · Real estate(real estate) · 10 years of annual accounts filed with the SEC · latest fiscal year ended 2025-12-31
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Cushman & Wakefield Ltd. reported revenue of $10.3 billion in fiscal 2025. Of the $1.5 billion its operations generated over 10 years, 37.7% went back into the business and 36.8% to acquisitions. On the accounting screens, it passes 5 of 8 Piotroski tests, its Altman Z'' of 0.59 is in the distress zone and its Beneish M-score is below the -1.78 line; 2 of the six cross-checks between its statements fire.
Revenue, fiscal 202510.3B
Operating margin4.4%gross margin —
Return on invested capital7.4%6.3% on average over 5 years
Free cash flow after stock pay234.8M2.3% of revenue
Net debt ÷ EBITDA3.5×net debt 2.0B
Piotroski F-score5/8tests of improvement passed
Is it growing?
Revenue and the operating income it turns into. Growth that does not reach operating income is growth bought with margin.
RevenueOperating income
-5.0B05.0B10.0B15.0B
2016
2017Revenue 6.9BOperating income -171.1M
2018Revenue 8.2BOperating income 12.6M
2019Revenue 8.8BOperating income 187.3M
2020Revenue 7.8BOperating income -53.1M
2021Revenue 9.4BOperating income 497.0M
2022Revenue 10.1BOperating income 535.1M
2023Revenue 9.5BOperating income 205.6M
2024Revenue 9.4BOperating income 338.9M
2025Revenue 10.3BOperating income 452.5M
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Compound growth a year
3 yrs
5 yrs
9 yrs
Revenue
+0.6%
+5.6%
—
Operating income
-5.4%
—
—
Net income
-23.4%
—
—
Earnings per share
-24.2%
—
—
Shares
+1.0%
+1.2%
—
Falling shares are buybacks: each remaining share owns more of the company.
Does it earn more than its capital costs?
Margins say how much of each sale is kept; return on invested capital says how much the business earns on the money it needs to operate. Growth only creates value when that return is above the cost of the capital.
GrossOperatingNetFree cash flow
-5.0%-2.5%0.0%2.5%5.0%7.5%
2016
2017Operating -2.5%Net -3.2%Free cash flow -1.8%
2018Operating 0.2%Net -2.3%Free cash flow -1.1%
2019Operating 2.1%Net 0.0%Free cash flow 2.2%
2020Operating -0.7%Net -2.8%Free cash flow -1.0%
2021Operating 5.3%Net 2.7%Free cash flow 5.3%
2022Operating 5.3%Net 1.9%Free cash flow -0.0%
2023Operating 2.2%Net -0.4%Free cash flow 1.1%
2024Operating 3.6%Net 1.4%Free cash flow 1.8%
2025Operating 4.4%Net 0.9%Free cash flow 2.8%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Return on invested capital
Return on invested capitalCost of capital today · 7.8%
-2.5%0.0%2.5%5.0%7.5%10.0%
2016
2017
2018Return on invested capital 0.3%
2019Return on invested capital 0.0%
2020Return on invested capital -1.5%
2021Return on invested capital 7.8%
2022Return on invested capital 6.3%
2023Return on invested capital 4.9%
2024Return on invested capital 5.3%
2025Return on invested capital 7.4%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Economic profit
Economic profit
-600.0M-400.0M-200.0M0
2016
2017
2018Economic profit -300.5M
2019Economic profit -307.3M
2020Economic profit -406.2M
2021Economic profit -749,941
2022Economic profit -71.8M
2023Economic profit -140.2M
2024Economic profit -119.8M
2025Economic profit -16.4M
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
(return on capital − cost of capital) × capital invested: the profit left after paying for the money used. Today's cost of capital is applied to every year, since a past one cannot be rebuilt honestly.
Return on equity
4.5%
Return on assets
1.1%
Asset turnover
1.34×
Overheads (SG&A)
12.8% of revenue
Is the profit cash, and where does the cash go?
Net income is an accounting opinion; free cash flow is what was left in the bank after investing. Stock-based pay does not leave the bank — shareholders pay it through dilution — so it is shown taken off as well.
Net incomeFree cash flowAfter stock-based pay
-400.0M-200.0M0200.0M400.0M600.0M
2016
2017Net income -221.3MFree cash flow -124.7MAfter stock-based pay -177.1M
2018Net income -185.8MFree cash flow -86.4MAfter stock-based pay -168.3M
2019Net income 200,000Free cash flow 189.0MAfter stock-based pay 127.7M
2020Net income -220.5MFree cash flow -79.2MAfter stock-based pay -121.2M
2021Net income 250.0MFree cash flow 495.7MAfter stock-based pay 437.5M
2022Net income 196.4MFree cash flow -1.6MAfter stock-based pay -41.9M
2023Net income -35.4MFree cash flow 101.2MAfter stock-based pay 47.1M
2024Net income 131.3MFree cash flow 167.0MAfter stock-based pay 131.4M
2025Net income 88.2MFree cash flow 293.0MAfter stock-based pay 234.8M
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Where 10 years of operating cash went, 2016–2025
1.5B generated by the business. Each band is its share of that total.
Reinvested in the business 38%578.5M
Acquisitions 37%564.7M
Dividends 0%0
Share buybacks 0%0
Kept, or used to pay down debt 25%389.3M
Over the same years it paid 484.0M in stock.
Per share
Earnings per shareFree cash flow per shareDividend per share
$-2.00$-1.00$0.00$1.00$2.00$3.00
2016
2017Earnings per share $-1.54Free cash flow per share $-0.87
2018Earnings per share $-1.09Free cash flow per share $-0.50
2019Earnings per share $0.00Free cash flow per share $0.84
2020Earnings per share $-1.00Free cash flow per share $-0.36
2021Earnings per share $1.10Free cash flow per share $2.19
2022Earnings per share $0.86Free cash flow per share $-0.01
2023Earnings per share $-0.16Free cash flow per share $0.45
2024Earnings per share $0.56Free cash flow per share $0.72
2025Earnings per share $0.38Free cash flow per share $1.25
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Shares outstanding
Diluted shares
125.0M150.0M175.0M200.0M225.0M250.0M
2016
2017Diluted shares 143.9M
2018Diluted shares 171.2M
2019Diluted shares 224.5M
2020Diluted shares 220.8M
2021Diluted shares 226.5M
2022Diluted shares 228.0M
2023Diluted shares 226.9M
2024Diluted shares 232.8M
2025Diluted shares 234.7M
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
How strong is the balance sheet?
Debt is not bad in itself; debt the business cannot service in a bad year is. Net debt is debt minus cash, and below zero the company holds more cash than it owes.
Net debt
01.0B2.0B3.0B
2016
2017
2018Net debt 1.8B
2019Net debt 1.8B
2020Net debt 2.2B
2021Net debt 2.5B
2022Net debt 2.6B
2023Net debt 2.5B
2024Net debt 2.2B
2025Net debt 2.0B
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Net debt ÷ EBITDA
3.5×
Interest coverage
2× operating income ÷ interest
Current ratio
1.10 current assets ÷ current liabilities
Cash conversion cycle
—
Three classic screens of the accounts
Each asks a different question of the same statements — is it improving, does it look like a company heading for distress, do the accounts resemble ones that were manipulated. None is a verdict; each shows what moves it.
Piotroski F-score
Is the business improving? Nine yes-or-no tests, this year against last.
5of 8 tests passed
✓ProfitableReturn on assets above zeropassed
✓Cash from operationsOperating cash flow above zeropassed
✕Profitability improvedReturn on assets higher than a year beforefailed
✓Profit backed by cashOperating cash flow above net income (low accruals)passed
✓Less long-term debtLong-term debt as a share of assets fellpassed
✕More liquidCurrent ratio higher than a year beforefailed
✕No new sharesShare count did not growfailed
–Better gross marginGross margin higher than a year before — not reportedno data
✓Sells more per assetAsset turnover higher than a year beforepassed
Where it misleads: it measures change, not level. An excellent business that stood still for a year scores low; a poor one recovering from a disaster scores high.
Altman Z''-score
Does the balance sheet look like those of companies that went bankrupt?
0.59distress zone
1.12.6
Working capital ÷ assets 0.03 × 6.56+0.21
Retained earnings ÷ assets -0.12 × 3.26-0.38
Operating income ÷ assets 0.06 × 6.72+0.40
Equity ÷ liabilities 0.34 × 1.05+0.36
Where it misleads: buybacks. A company that returns so much cash that its equity turns small or negative sinks the last two ratios without being anywhere near bankruptcy. Banks and insurers do not fit the model at all.
Beneish M-score
Do the accounts resemble those of companies that manipulated their earnings?
-2.54below the -1.78 line
-1.78
Receivables vs sales 1.00 (not reported, set to 1)+0.92
Gross margin slipping 1.00 (not reported, set to 1)+0.53
Soft assets 0.98+0.40
Sales growth 1.09+0.97
Slower depreciation 1.08+0.12
Overheads vs sales 0.99-0.17
Profit not in cash -0.03-0.15
Leverage rising 0.97-0.32
Where it misleads: fast growth and acquisitions. Sales growth carries a heavy weight, so a company growing 50% a year scores like a suspect without having done anything. It is a screen from a 1999 study, not an accusation.
Where the statements disagree
Cross-checks between the income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow for the latest year, each with the benign reading and the worrying one.
Capital spending (47M) is well below depreciation (104M).
Benign
Mature assets, or a business that has become less capital-intensive.
Worrying
Under-investing: today's profit is being held up by consuming tomorrow's capacity.
Net debt is 3.5 times EBITDA.
Benign
A stable sector with predictable cash flows and comfortable maturities.
Worrying
Little room if earnings fall; the maturity schedule is what to check.
What is it worth, under which assumptions?
A company is worth the cash it will generate, brought back to today. This model projects revenue with growth that fades over the years, applies a free cash flow margin, and discounts the result at the cost of capital. Every assumption says where it came from, and all of them can be changed.
Value per share, with these assumptions$22.39discounted at 7.8% a year · 62% of it from after year 10
Type a share price on the left to ask the reverse questions: what growth, what margin or what discount rate that price implies.
What the value implies, in the usual multiples
At this model's value
Price ÷ earnings
59.6×
Enterprise value ÷ EBITDA
13.0×
Enterprise value ÷ revenue
0.7×
Free cash flow yield
4.5%
From cash flows to a value per share
10 years of cash flow, today2.8B
Everything after, today4.4B
The whole business7.2B
Minus net debt-2.0B
What belongs to shareholders5.3B
Divided among 234.7M shares: <strong>$22.39</strong> each.
The projection next to its history
Reported free cash flow after stock pay, then the model's. A projection that looks nothing like the past needs a reason.
ReportedProjected
-200.0M0200.0M400.0M600.0M
2016
2017Reported -177.1M
2018Reported -168.3M
2019Reported 127.7M
2020Reported -121.2M
2021Reported 437.5M
2022Reported -41.9M
2023Reported 47.1M
2024Reported 131.4M
2025Reported 234.8M
2026Projected 345.3M
2027Projected 363.2M
2028Projected 380.7M
2029Projected 397.8M
2030Projected 414.4M
2031Projected 430.3M
2032Projected 445.4M
2033Projected 459.5M
2034Projected 472.5M
2035Projected 484.3M
2016201820202022202420262028203020322034
Year by year
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
Revenue
10.9B
11.4B
12.0B
12.5B
13.0B
13.5B
14.0B
14.4B
14.9B
15.2B
Growth
5.5%
5.2%
4.8%
4.5%
4.2%
3.8%
3.5%
3.2%
2.8%
2.5%
Cash margin
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
3.2%
Free cash flow
345.3M
363.2M
380.7M
397.8M
414.4M
430.3M
445.4M
459.5M
472.5M
484.3M
Worth today
320.4M
312.6M
304.0M
294.8M
284.9M
274.4M
263.5M
252.2M
240.7M
228.9M
If the least-known inputs move
Value per share as two inputs change at a time. Neighbouring cells that differ a lot are the conclusion: the value depends on numbers nobody knows to a point.
The discount rate and growth forever
discount ↓ · forever →
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
6.8%
23
26
30
34
40
7.3%
21
23
26
29
33
7.8%
18
20
22
25
28
8.3%
16
18
20
22
25
8.8%
15
16
17
19
21
Year-one growth and the final margin
margin ↓ · growth →
1.5%
3.5%
5.5%
7.5%
9.5%
2.5%
13
15
17
20
22
2.9%
15
18
20
22
25
3.2%
18
20
22
25
28
3.5%
20
22
25
28
31
3.8%
22
24
27
31
34
All the inputs moving at once
5,000 valuations, each with growth, final margin, discount rate and growth forever drawn at random around the values on the left (spreads of 3.0%, 2.0%, 1.0% and 0.5%). Not a probability — the spreads are assumptions too — but an honest picture of how wide the answer is.
10th percentile$2.29
Median$22.39
90th percentile$49.21
$0.00$25.00$50.00$75.00
Half of the simulations land between <b>$11.30</b> and <b>$34.82</b>; one in ten below $2.29, one in ten above $49.21.
Does the long run make sense?
11.4×The terminal value prices the business in year 10 at 11.4 times that year's EBITDA.
39%To grow 2.5% forever while reinvesting 6% of its after-tax operating profit, the business must earn 39% on the new capital — it has earned 6% on average over the last five years.
62%of the value comes from after year 10. The more of it, the more the answer depends on the part nobody can see.
Every Form 4 filed in the last twelve months, read line by line: 6 filings by 6 people. Open-market purchases and sales are counted apart from awards, option exercises and shares withheld for taxes.
Bought on the open market—none in the period
Sold on the open market$389,4552 sale(s) by 2 insider(s)
Under pre-arranged plans0%of the sales followed a 10b5-1 plan set months earlier
A Form 4 says what happened, when, how many shares and at what price. It does not say why: a sale can be diversification, a tax bill or a plan fixed months earlier, and an award is pay, not a purchase. Nothing here is a reason to buy or sell anything.
Companies like this one
Same SEC industry (real estate) first, then the rest of real estate.
Accounts from the company's own SEC filings; lines some companies do not report are shown as a dash rather than estimated. The risk-free rate is the 10-year US Treasury yield. A DCF is a way of making assumptions explicit, not a forecast: it states what the company would be worth if the assumptions held. The scores are screens that point where to look, not verdicts. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.