Table:
|  |  | Fiscal Year |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ($ in millions) | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Net cash provided from operating activities | $232.4 | $209.2 | $130.3 |
| Purchases of property, plant, equipment and software | (180.3) | (135.0) | (98.5) |
| Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired | (79.0) | (13.3) | (35.3) |
| Proceeds from divestiture of business | — | — | 12.0 |
| Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment and assets held for sale | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.5 |
| Proceeds from note receivable from sale of equity method investment | — | 6.3 | 6.3 |
| Proceeds from insurance recovery | 11.4 | — | — |
| Dividends paid | (38.6) | (34.4) | (34.1) |
| Free cash flow | $(53.7) | $34.7 | $(16.8) |
Paragraphs:
Free Cash Flow
The following provides a reconciliation of free cash flow, as used in this annual report, to its most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures:
Management believes that the free cash flow measure provides useful information to investors regarding our financial condition because it is a measure of cash generated which management evaluates for alternative uses. It is management’s current intention to use excess cash to fund investments in capital equipment, acquisition opportunities and consistent dividend payments. Free cash flow is not a U.S. GAAP financial measure and should not be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, cash flows calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Question:
What does management believe the free cash flow measure provides?
Answer: useful information to investors regarding our financial condition because it is a measure of cash generated which management evaluates for alternative uses