Advance Auto Parts, Inc.
S&P 600
Cash Flow
Cash Flow Breakdown
Figures in US$OperatingInvestingFinancing
How to read this: the three bars show where cash moved each year. Operating is cash from the core business (you generally want this positive and growing). Investing is usually negative — money spent on assets or acquisitions. Financing shows money raised from, or returned to, lenders and shareholders. Bars above the line are cash in; bars below are cash out.
Operating Cash Flow vs Capex
Figures in US$Operating Cash FlowCapital Expenditure
How to read this: operating cash flow is the cash the business generated; capital expenditure is what it spent on long-term assets like plant and equipment. The gap between them is roughly free cash flow — the cash left over. A wide gap (operating well above capex) means the business funds its investment comfortably from its own earnings.
| Period | Operating Cash Flow | Investing Cash Flow | Financing Cash Flow | Capital Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2012 | $685.28M | $-272.98M | $127.91M | $271.18M |
| FY2013 | $545.25M | $-362.11M | $331.22M | $195.76M |
| FY2015 | $708.99M | $-2.29B | $575.91M | $228.45M |
| FY2016 | $523.30M | $-262.04M | $-217.12M | $259.56M |
| FY2017 | $600.81M | $-178.64M | $-14.87M | $189.76M |
| FY2018 | $811.03M | $-191.83M | $-263.92M | $193.72M |
| FY2019 | $866.91M | $-462.94M | $-882.15M | $270.13M |
| FY2021 | $969.69M | $-266.90M | $-286.00M | $267.58M |
| FY2022 | $736.57M | $-424.45M | $-620.70M | $398.76M |
| FY2023 | $287.00M | $-235.00M | $189.00M | $226.00M |
| FY2024 | $85.00M | $1.36B | $-75.00M | $181.00M |
| FY2026 | $-46.00M | $-239.00M | $1.54B | $252.00M |
Figures in USD. Educational data only.
Understanding these terms
Plain-English explanations of each figure in the table above, and what a beginner typically looks at. These are educational descriptions only, not advice.
- Operating Cash Flow
- Cash produced by the company's core operations during the period. The US equivalent of "Cash from Operating Activity".How a beginner reads it: A beginner uses this as a reality check on profit, since it reflects cash actually collected. Healthy, consistent operating cash flow underpins a company's ability to invest and repay debt.
- Investing Cash Flow
- Cash used for or generated by buying and selling long-term assets and investments. The US equivalent of "Cash from Investing Activity".How a beginner reads it: A beginner expects this to be negative for companies investing in growth. Reading it next to operating cash flow shows whether the business funds its investments from its own earnings.
- Financing Cash Flow
- Cash flows with lenders and shareholders — borrowing, repaying, issuing shares, buybacks, and dividends. The US equivalent of "Cash from Financing Activity".How a beginner reads it: A beginner reads this to understand whether the company is taking in money (borrowing/issuing) or paying it out (repaying/dividends), and how that fits the operating picture.
- Capital Expenditure
- Money spent on buying or upgrading long-lived assets like plant, equipment, and buildings. Often shortened to "capex".How a beginner reads it: A beginner reads capex against operating cash flow to see whether a company funds its investment from its own earnings. Operating cash flow minus capex is roughly free cash flow.