Accenture
S&P 500
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 | $3.49B | $-1.06B | $-3.17B | $321.87M |
| FY2015 | $4.18B | $-1.17B | $-3.29B | $395.02M |
| FY2016 | $4.67B | $-610.35M | $-3.49B | $496.57M |
| FY2017 | $4.97B | $-2.23B | $-3.56B | $515.92M |
| FY2018 | $6.03B | $-1.25B | $-3.71B | $619.19M |
| FY2019 | $6.63B | $-1.76B | $-3.77B | $599.01M |
| FY2020 | $8.22B | $-1.89B | $-4.05B | $599.13M |
| FY2021 | $8.98B | $-4.31B | $-4.93B | $580.13M |
| FY2022 | $9.54B | $-4.26B | $-5.31B | $718.00M |
| FY2023 | $9.52B | $-2.62B | $-5.65B | $528.17M |
| FY2024 | $9.13B | $-7.06B | $-6.06B | $516.51M |
| FY2025 | $11.47B | $-2.02B | $-2.95B | $600.04M |
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.