text: Liquidity and Capital Resources
text: Cash Flows
text: A summary of the sources and uses of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents is as follows:
text: Operating Activities
text: Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 29, 2019 was $270.4 million and was primarily the result of: (i) $158.3 million mark-to-market gain on equity investments with readily determinable fair value; (ii) $143.4 million gain on business divestiture; (iii) $128.4 million increase in inventories to support the construction of our solar energy projects; (iv) $66.2 million increase in accounts receivable, primarily driven by billings in excess of collections; (v) $38.2 million increase in contract assets driven by construction activities; (vi) $25.2 million gain on sale of assets; (vii) $17.3 million gain on sale of equity investments without readily determinable fair value; (viii) $8.9 million decrease in operating lease liabilities; (ix) $8.8 million increase in prepaid expenses and other assets, primarily related to movements in prepaid inventory; (x) net loss of $7.7 million; and (xi) $2.2 million increase in project assets, primarily related to the construction of our commercial solar energy projects. This was offset by: (i) $80.1 million depreciation and amortization; (ii) $79.3 million increase in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities; (iii) $50.2 million increase in advances to suppliers; (iv) $33.8 million loss on sale and impairment of residential lease assets; (v) $27.5 million increase in contract liabilities driven by construction activities; (vi) stock-based compensation of $26.9 million; (vii) $9.5 million non-cash interest expense; (viii) $8.6 million decrease in operating lease right-of-use assets; (ix) $7.1 million loss in equity in earnings of unconsolidated investees; (x) $5.9 million non-cash restructuring charges; and (xi) $5.0 million net change in deferred income taxes; and (xii) impairment of long-lived assets of $0.8 million.
text: In December 2018 and May 2019, we entered into factoring arrangements with two separate third-party factor agencies related to our accounts receivable from customers in Europe. As a result of these factoring arrangements, title of certain accounts receivable balances was transferred to third-party vendors, and both arrangements were accounted for as a sale of financial assets given effective control over these financial assets has been surrendered. As a result, these financial assets have been excluded from our consolidated balance sheets. In connection with the factoring arrangements, we sold accounts receivable invoices amounting to $119.4 million and $26.3 million in fiscal 2019 and 2018, respectively. As of December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, total uncollected accounts receivable from end customers under both arrangements were $11.6 million and $21.0 million, respectively.
text: Net cash used in operating activities in fiscal 2018 was $543.4 million and was primarily the result of: (i) net loss of $917.5 million; (ii) $182.9 million increase in long-term financing receivables related to our net investment in sales-type leases; (iii) $127.3 million decrease in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities, primarily attributable to payments of accrued expenses; (iv) $59.3 million gain on business divestiture; (v) $54.2 million gain on the sale of equity investments; (vi) $43.5 million increase in contract assets driven by construction activities; (vii) $39.2 million increase in inventories due to the support of various construction projects; (viii) $30.5 million decrease in contract liabilities driven by construction activities; (ix) $6.9 million increase in deferred income taxes; (x) $6.8 million increase due to other various activities; and (xi) $0.2 million increase in accounts receivable, primarily driven by billings. This was partially offset by: (i) impairment of property, plant and equipment of $369.2 million; (ii) impairment of residential lease assets of $189.7 million; (iii) net non-cash charges of $162.1 million related to depreciation, stock-based compensation and other non-cash charges; (iv) loss on sale of residential lease assets of $62.2 million; (v) $44.4 million decrease in advance payments made to suppliers; (vi) $39.5 million decrease in project assets, primarily related to the construction of our Commercial solar energy projects; (vii) $22.8 million decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets, primarily related to the receipt of prepaid inventory; (viii) $17.8 million decrease in equity in earnings of unconsolidated investees; (ix) $6.9 million net change in income taxes; (x) $6.4 million unrealized loss on equity investments with readily determinable fair value; and (xi) $3.9 million dividend from equity method investees.
text: Net cash used in operating activities in fiscal 2017 was $267.4 million and was primarily the result of: (i) net loss of $1,170.9 million; (ii) $216.3 million decrease in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities, primarily attributable to payment of accrued expenses; (iii) $123.7 million increase in long-term financing receivables related to our net investment in sales-type leases; (iv) $38.2 million increase in inventories to support the construction of our solar energy projects; (vi) $25.9 million increase in equity in earnings of unconsolidated investees; (vii) $7.0 million net change in income taxes; (viii) $5.3 million gain on sale of equity method investment; and (ix) $1.2 million decrease in accounts receivable, primarily driven by collections; This was partially offset by: (i) $624.3 million impairment of residential lease assets; (ii) other net non-cash charges of $239.6 million related to depreciation, stock-based compensation and other non-cash charges; (iii) $145.2 million increase in contract liabilities driven by construction activities; (iv) $110.5 million decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets, primarily related to the receipt of prepaid inventory; (v) $89.6 million impairment of 8point3 Energy Partners investment balance; (vi) $68.8 million decrease in advance payments made to suppliers; (vii) $30.1 million dividend from 8point3 Energy Partners; (viii) $10.7 million decrease in contract assets driven by milestone billings; (ix) $2.3 million decrease in project assets, primarily related to the construction of our commercial and power plant solar energy projects
text: Investing Activities
text: Net cash provided by investing activities in the year ended December 29, 2019 was $21.4 million, which included (i) proceeds of $60.0 million from sale of property, plant, and equipment; (ii) $42.9 million proceeds from sale of investments; (iii) net proceeds of $40.5 million from business divestiture; and (iv) $2.0 million of proceeds resulting from realization of estimated receivables from a business divestiture. This was offset by (i) cash paid for solar power systems of $53.3 million; (ii) $47.4 million of purchases of property, plant and equipment; (iii) cash paid for investments in unconsolidated investees of $12.4 million; and (iv) $10.9 million of cash de-consolidated from the sale of residential lease assets.
text: Net cash provided by investing activities in fiscal 2018 was $274.9 million, which included (i) proceeds from the sale of investment in joint ventures and non-public companies of $420.3 million; (ii) proceeds of $23.3 million from business divestiture; and (iii) a $13.0 million dividend from equity method investees. This was partially offset by: (i) $167.0 million in capital expenditures primarily related to the expansion of our solar cell manufacturing capacity and costs associated with solar power systems, leased and to be leased; and (ii) $14.7 million paid for investments in consolidated and unconsolidated investees.
text: Net cash used in investing activities in fiscal 2017 was $293.1 million, which included (i) $283.0 million in capital expenditures primarily related to the expansion of our solar cell manufacturing capacity and costs associated with solar power systems, leased and to be leased; (ii) $18.6 million paid for investments in consolidated and unconsolidated investees; and (iii) $1.3 million purchase of marketable securities. This was partially offset by proceeds from the sale of investment in joint ventures of $6.0 million and a $3.8 million dividend from equity method investees.
text: Financing Activities
text: Net cash provided by financing activities in the year ended December 29, 2019 was $344.3 million, which included: (i) $171.9 million from the common stock offering; (ii) $110.9 million in net proceeds of bank loans and other debt; (iii) $69.2 million net proceeds from the issuance of non-recourse residential financing, net of issuance costs; (iv) $35.5 million of net contributions from noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests related to residential lease projects; (v) $3.0 million of proceeds from issuance of non-recourse power plant and commercial financing, net of issuance costs. This was partially offset by (i) $39.0 million of payment associated with prior business combination; (ii) $5.6 million in purchases of treasury stock for tax withholding obligations on vested restricted stock; and (iii) $1.6 million settlement of contingent consideration arrangement, net of cash received.
text: Net cash provided by financing activities in fiscal 2018 was $85.8 million, which included: (i) $174.9 million in net proceeds from the issuance of non-recourse residential financing, net of issuance costs; (ii) $129.3 million of net contributions from noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests related to residential lease projects; and (iii) $94.7 million in net proceeds from the issuance of non-recourse power plant and commercial financing, net of issuance costs. This was partially offset by: (i) $307.6 million in net repayments of 0.75% debentures due 2018, bank loans and other debt; and (ii) $5.5 million in purchases of treasury stock for tax withholding obligations on vested restricted stock.
text: Net cash provided by financing activities in fiscal 2017 was $589.9 million, which included: (i) $351.8 million in net proceeds from the issuance of non-recourse power plant and commercial financing, net of issuance costs; (ii) $179.2 million of net contributions from noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests primarily related to residential lease projects; and (iii) $82.7 million in net proceeds from the issuance of non-recourse residential financing, net of issuance costs. This was partially offset by: (i) 19.1 million in net repayments of bank loans and other debt; and (ii) $4.7 million in purchases of treasury stock for tax withholding obligations on vested restricted stock.

Table:
Fiscal Year Ended
(In thousands)
December 29, 2019
December 30, 2018
December 31, 2017
Net cash used in operating activities
$(270,413)
$(543,389)
$(267,412)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
$21,366
$274,900
$(293,084)
Net cash provided by financing activities
$344,314
$85,847
$589,932

Questions:
question: What was the net cash provided by investing activities in 2017?
answer: (293,084)
question: Which year was the net cash used in operating activities the highest?
answer: 2018
derivation: $(267,412) > $(270,413) > $(543,389)
question: What was the change in net cash provided by investing activities from 2018 to 2019?
answer: -253534
derivation: $21,366 - $274,900 
scale: thousand
question: What is the percentage change of net cash provided by financing activities from 2017 to 2018?
answer: -85.45
derivation: ($85,847 - $589,932)/$589,932 
scale: percent