Black Hills Corporation
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 | $315.32M | $-401.15M | $91.07M | $398.49M |
| FY2015 | $424.38M | $-476.39M | $483.70M | $266.38M |
| FY2016 | $320.48M | $-1.59B | $841.00M | $454.95M |
| FY2017 | $428.26M | $-317.12M | $-108.70M | $326.01M |
| FY2018 | $488.81M | $-465.85M | $-17.06M | $457.52M |
| FY2019 | $505.51M | $-816.21M | $300.21M | $818.38M |
| FY2020 | $541.86M | $-761.66M | $216.88M | $767.40M |
| FY2021 | $-64.60M | $-664.20M | $731.90M | $677.50M |
| FY2022 | $584.80M | $-603.90M | $32.30M | $604.40M |
| FY2023 | $944.40M | $-536.70M | $-341.70M | $555.60M |
| FY2024 | $719.30M | $-746.00M | $-42.90M | $744.20M |
| FY2025 | $673.40M | $-828.20M | $321.80M | $819.80M |
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.