Becton Dickinson
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 | $1.75B | $-948.00M | $-807.00M | $592.00M |
| FY2015 | $1.73B | $-8.32B | $6.19B | $596.00M |
| FY2016 | $2.56B | $-669.00M | $-1.76B | $693.00M |
| FY2017 | $2.55B | $-883.00M | $10.98B | $727.00M |
| FY2018 | $2.87B | $-15.73B | $-58.00M | $895.00M |
| FY2019 | $3.33B | $-741.00M | $-3.22B | $957.00M |
| FY2020 | $3.54B | $-1.23B | $22.00M | $769.00M |
| FY2021 | $4.65B | $-1.88B | $-3.31B | $1.19B |
| FY2022 | $2.47B | $-3.22B | $-736.00M | $973.00M |
| FY2023 | $2.99B | $-716.00M | $-1.96B | $874.00M |
| FY2024 | $3.84B | $-5.51B | $2.09B | $725.00M |
| FY2025 | $3.43B | $-818.00M | $-3.62B | $760.00M |
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.