Second-quarter capital spending rose to USD 44.92 billion from a year earlier, driving quarterly free cash flow to a record-low negative USD 5.86 billion.
Alphabet recorded its first-ever negative quarterly free cash flow after second-quarter capital spending doubled from a year earlier to USD 44.92 billion. The surge in spending, tied to the company’s AI buildout, pushed free cash flow to a record-low negative USD 5.86 billion, underscoring how heavy investment in data centers and computing capacity can weigh on near-term cash generation even as companies race to expand AI infrastructure.