What is free cash flow Why mighty be entered in free cash flow than net income

Free cash flow is the amount of cash that could be withdrawn from the firm without harming its ability to operate and to produce future cash flows. It is calculated as after-tax operating income plus depreciation less capital expenditures and the change in net operating working capital. It is more important than net income because it shows the exact amount available to all investors (stockholders and debtholders). The value of a company's operations depends on expected future free cash flows. Therefore, managers make their companies more valuable by increasing their free cash flow. Net income, on the other hand, reflects accounting profit but not cash flow. Therefore, investors ought to focus on cash flow rather than accounting profit.