Arrow Electronics
S&P 400
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 | $673.30M | $-244.84M | $-434.89M | $122.51M |
| FY2015 | $660.01M | $-664.03M | $-89.12M | $154.80M |
| FY2016 | $359.67M | $-241.45M | $162.20M | $164.70M |
| FY2017 | $124.56M | $-188.76M | $256.75M | $203.95M |
| FY2018 | $272.69M | $-462.97M | $-36.83M | $135.34M |
| FY2019 | $858.00M | $-173.58M | $-906.37M | $143.19M |
| FY2020 | $1.36B | $-138.79M | $-1.23B | $123.59M |
| FY2021 | $418.98M | $-60.12M | $-463.30M | $83.05M |
| FY2022 | $-33.08M | $-57.71M | $109.78M | $78.84M |
| FY2023 | $705.45M | $-72.32M | $-666.22M | $83.29M |
| FY2024 | $1.13B | $-94.44M | $-956.83M | $92.70M |
| FY2025 | $64.05M | $23.60M | $-206.14M | $101.25M |
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.