Net financial position (non-U.S. GAAP measure): resources (debt), represents the balance between our total financial resources and our total financial debt. Our total financial resources include cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, short-term deposits and restricted cash, and our total financial debt includes short-term borrowings, current portion of long-term debt and long-term debt, all as reported in our consolidated balance sheet. We believe our net financial position provides useful information for investors and management because it gives evidence of our global position either in terms of net indebtedness or net cash position by measuring our capital resources based on cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and the total level of our financial indebtedness.
(US$ Million) | Dec 31 2018 | Sep 29
2018 | Jun 30
2018 | Mar 31 2018 | Dec 31 2017 |
Cash and cash equivalents | 2,266 | 1,835 | 1,683 | 1,791 | 1,759 |
Short term deposits | - | 8 | 15 | 14 | - |
Marketable securities | 330 | 328 | 429 | 429 | 431 |
Total financial resources | 2,596 | 2,171 | 2,127 | 2,234 | 2,190 |
Short-term debt | (146) | (117) | (118) | (119) | (118) |
Long-term debt | (1,764) | (1,607) | (1,598) | (1,593) | (1,583) |
Total financial debt | (1,910) | (1,724) | (1,716) | (1,712) | (1,701) |
Net financial position | 686 | 447 | 411 | 522 | 489 |
Free cash flow (non-U.S. GAAP measure) is defined as net cash from operating activities minus net cash from (used in) investing activities, excluding payment for purchases (proceeds from the sale of) marketable securities and short-term deposits. We believe free cash flow provides useful information for investors and management because it measures our capacity to generate cash from our operating and investing activities to sustain our operating activities. Free cash flow does not represent total cash flow since it does not include the cash flows generated by or used in financing activities. In addition, our definition of free cash flow may differ from definitions used by other companies.
(US$ Million) | Q4 2018 | Q3 2018 | Q2 2018 | Q1 2018 | Q4 2017 | FY 2018 | FY 2017(1) |
Net cash from operating activities | 656 | 373 | 360 | 455 | 587 | 1,845 | 1,677 |
Net cash used in investing activities | (284) | (152) | (401) | (374) | (442) | (1,212) | (1,468) |
Payment for purchase and proceeds from sale of marketable securities, investment in short-term deposits | (9) | (107) | 1 | 14 | - | (100) | 99 |
Free cash flow | 363 | 114 | (40) | 95 | 145 | 533 | 308 |
(1) FY 2017 amounts have been adjusted in Q318 to reflect the impact of new 2018 accounting guidance, which requires, on comparative periods, the reclassification as operating cash flows of the implied interest paid in the settlement of our convertible bonds.