Blackstone Inc.
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 | $1.65B | $-24.43M | $-1.05B | $30.27M |
| FY2015 | $2.40B | $-53.40M | $-1.92B | $59.25M |
| FY2016 | $-88.59M | $-21.83M | $570.17M | $21.83M |
| FY2017 | $-1.63B | $-193.26M | $2.77B | $24.35M |
| FY2018 | $45.74M | $-116.60M | $-1.33B | $18.38M |
| FY2019 | $1.96B | $-60.28M | $-1.92B | $60.28M |
| FY2020 | $1.94B | $-166.82M | $-2.24B | $111.65M |
| FY2021 | $3.99B | $-64.32M | $-3.78B | $64.32M |
| FY2022 | $6.34B | $-235.50M | $-3.79B | $235.50M |
| FY2023 | $4.06B | $-229.65M | $-5.05B | $224.23M |
| FY2024 | $3.48B | $-61.41M | $-4.50B | $61.41M |
| FY2025 | $4.66B | $-115.70M | $-3.88B | $115.70M |
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.