Bank of America
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $30.80B | $-8.26B | $-12.20B |
| FY2015 | $28.40B | $-55.57B | $48.54B |
| FY2016 | $17.28B | $-62.29B | $33.15B |
| FY2017 | $9.86B | $-51.54B | $49.27B |
| FY2018 | $39.52B | $-71.47B | $53.12B |
| FY2019 | $61.78B | $-80.63B | $3.38B |
| FY2020 | $37.99B | $-177.67B | $355.82B |
| FY2021 | $-7.19B | $-313.29B | $291.65B |
| FY2022 | $-6.33B | $-2.53B | $-106.04B |
| FY2023 | $44.98B | $-35.39B | $93.35B |
| FY2024 | $-8.81B | $-90.69B | $60.37B |
| FY2025 | $12.61B | $-145.16B | $69.95B |
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.