BNY Mellon
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 | $4.48B | $-11.68B | $7.83B | $791.00M |
| FY2015 | $4.13B | $-19.79B | $15.19B | $601.00M |
| FY2016 | $6.27B | $50.28B | $-59.05B | $825.00M |
| FY2017 | $4.67B | $-32.71B | $26.78B | $1.20B |
| FY2018 | $6.00B | $3.30B | $-8.10B | $1.11B |
| FY2019 | $96.00M | $-10.55B | $9.46B | $1.21B |
| FY2020 | $5.04B | $-78.46B | $75.51B | $1.22B |
| FY2021 | $2.84B | $19.67B | $-21.96B | $1.22B |
| FY2022 | $15.07B | $19.87B | $-33.65B | $1.35B |
| FY2023 | $5.91B | $-5.81B | $-3.52B | $1.22B |
| FY2024 | $687.00M | $-9.48B | $6.34B | $1.47B |
| FY2025 | $6.73B | $-44.28B | $39.71B | $1.55B |
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.