Blackbaud
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 | $116.88M | $-211.36M | $97.44M | $13.91M |
| FY2015 | $129.23M | $-141.36M | $129.78M | $18.63M |
| FY2016 | $153.63M | $-47.43M | $-8.55M | $17.69M |
| FY2017 | $176.29M | $-184.88M | $278.64M | $10.21M |
| FY2018 | $201.39M | $-97.79M | $-291.91M | $14.72M |
| FY2019 | $182.48M | $-167.22M | $111.21M | $11.49M |
| FY2020 | $147.96M | $-71.85M | $-10.68M | $29.69M |
| FY2021 | $213.66M | $-471.27M | $264.11M | $11.66M |
| FY2022 | $203.89M | $-85.55M | $-25.69M | $12.29M |
| FY2023 | $199.63M | $-64.39M | $-142.97M | $4.69M |
| FY2024 | $295.97M | $-73.41M | $-139.35M | $7.44M |
| FY2025 | $265.55M | $-74.94M | $-247.40M | $7.77M |
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.