Belden Inc.
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 | $200.89M | $-392.35M | $330.36M | $45.46M |
| FY2015 | $241.46M | $-746.25M | $-11.07M | $54.97M |
| FY2016 | $314.79M | $-73.26M | $401.70M | $53.97M |
| FY2017 | $255.30M | $-230.12M | $-331.45M | $64.26M |
| FY2018 | $289.22M | $-140.68M | $-281.77M | $97.85M |
| FY2019 | $276.89M | $-184.37M | $-86.95M | $110.00M |
| FY2020 | $173.36M | $-31.64M | $-74.91M | $90.22M |
| FY2021 | $272.06M | $-92.00M | $-32.93M | $90.98M |
| FY2022 | $281.30M | $168.41M | $-393.21M | $105.09M |
| FY2023 | $319.64M | $-200.36M | $-211.93M | $116.73M |
| FY2024 | $352.08M | $-426.76M | $-143.72M | $129.10M |
| FY2025 | $354.86M | $-128.24M | $-217.77M | $136.17M |
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.