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Unchained · Friday, July 31, 2026

Big Tech's Shift: From Free Cash Flow Kings to Debt Market Borrowers

A notable shift has occurred in big tech, where companies like Meta and Google, previously known for immense profitability and low capex, are now increasingly leveraging the debt market for tens of billions of dollars. This trend is underscored by Oracle's recent downgrade to near junk status, highlighting a new focus on free cash flow.

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The tape

2 quotes
I mean, they were enormously profitable, had had very, very, very low capex and unlimited free cash flow. A big inversion now, because of how, I mean, the revenues are great, but the, I mean, like Google went to public markets for the first time in decades. I mean, these companies are raising tens of billions of dollars in the debt market.
Unchained
I know Oracle was recently downgraded to like one, one ring above junk status. And yeah, I mean, free cash flow, it's all of a sudden, it's it's a big deal.
Unchained
Heard on Unchained — “Meta Fell 10%. Microsoft Didn't Blink., published Friday, July 31, 2026. Heardvine summarizes and quotes with attribution and timestamps, and links to the original everywhere.
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Big Tech's Shift: From Free Cash Flow Kings to Debt Market Borrowers — Heardvine