ACI Worldwide
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $160.83M | $-240.69M | $66.28M | $17.63M |
| FY2015 | $187.99M | $-199.96M | $44.64M | $27.28M |
| FY2016 | $99.83M | $129.63M | $-251.08M | $40.81M |
| FY2017 | $146.20M | $-54.41M | $-98.15M | $25.72M |
| FY2018 | $183.93M | $-45.36M | $-57.70M | $18.27M |
| FY2019 | $132.61M | $-830.48M | $668.35M | $23.10M |
| FY2020 | $314.90M | $-30.70M | $-159.89M | $17.80M |
| FY2021 | $220.47M | $-45.37M | $-256.88M | $20.58M |
| FY2022 | $143.38M | $60.25M | $-171.06M | $13.10M |
| FY2023 | $168.52M | $-37.78M | $-111.55M | $8.92M |
| FY2024 | $358.75M | $-45.05M | $-288.20M | $15.40M |
| FY2025 | $322.83M | $7.22M | $-336.65M | $12.91M |
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.