Brink's
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 | $141.30M | $-94.00M | $3.30M | $136.10M |
| FY2015 | $195.90M | $-103.70M | $-52.50M | $101.10M |
| FY2016 | $190.30M | $-108.90M | $-25.00M | $112.20M |
| FY2017 | $296.40M | $-394.90M | $587.30M | $174.50M |
| FY2018 | $364.10M | $-672.70M | $93.40M | $155.10M |
| FY2019 | $368.60M | $-333.00M | $-38.00M | $164.80M |
| FY2020 | $317.70M | $-565.40M | $683.70M | $118.50M |
| FY2021 | $478.00M | $-454.70M | $171.30M | $167.90M |
| FY2022 | $479.90M | $-331.20M | $245.20M | $182.60M |
| FY2023 | $702.40M | $-179.80M | $-207.10M | $202.70M |
| FY2024 | $426.00M | $-216.20M | $42.20M | $222.50M |
| FY2025 | $639.50M | $-202.40M | $-114.10M | $203.10M |
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.