Benchmark Electronics, Inc.
S&P 600
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 | $136.66M | $-27.48M | $-24.88M | $44.21M |
| FY2015 | $147.38M | $-266.80M | $159.07M | $37.13M |
| FY2016 | $273.09M | $-21.25M | $-35.31M | $30.48M |
| FY2017 | $145.84M | $-56.12M | $-31.35M | $50.79M |
| FY2018 | $76.69M | $-68.85M | $-290.97M | $62.81M |
| FY2019 | $93.14M | $-34.86M | $-152.84M | $32.58M |
| FY2020 | $120.44M | $-34.38M | $-57.53M | $34.58M |
| FY2021 | $-2.62M | $-41.88M | $-73.95M | $38.79M |
| FY2022 | $-177.47M | $-41.17M | $159.23M | $43.36M |
| FY2023 | $174.29M | $-77.14M | $-23.58M | $73.48M |
| FY2024 | $189.23M | $-32.77M | $-109.11M | $31.31M |
| FY2025 | $123.96M | $-32.70M | $-105.90M | $35.61M |
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.