Align Technology
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 | $226.90M | $-201.63M | $-66.42M | $24.09M |
| FY2015 | $238.00M | $-166.36M | $-100.79M | $53.45M |
| FY2016 | $247.65M | $73.03M | $-95.52M | $70.58M |
| FY2017 | $438.54M | $-251.48M | $-135.50M | $195.70M |
| FY2018 | $554.68M | $6.93M | $-369.43M | $223.31M |
| FY2019 | $747.27M | $-350.44M | $-485.54M | $149.71M |
| FY2020 | $662.17M | $-231.51M | $-30.81M | $154.92M |
| FY2021 | $1.17B | $-563.43M | $-458.33M | $401.10M |
| FY2022 | $568.73M | $-213.32M | $-501.69M | $291.90M |
| FY2023 | $785.78M | $-195.94M | $-598.34M | $177.72M |
| FY2024 | $738.23M | $-254.91M | $-355.72M | $115.58M |
| FY2025 | $593.22M | $-112.45M | $-464.58M | $102.45M |
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.