The Cheesecake Factory, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2012 | $196.06M | $-77.62M | $-151.86M | $76.75M |
| FY2013 | $204.79M | $-107.94M | $-118.66M | $106.29M |
| FY2014 | $239.65M | $-115.86M | $-127.52M | $113.98M |
| FY2015 | $247.73M | $-155.70M | $-106.20M | $153.94M |
| FY2017 | $316.38M | $-159.46M | $-146.94M | $115.82M |
| FY2018 | $238.80M | $-140.43M | $-146.09M | $120.78M |
| FY2019 | $218.76M | $-363.06M | $176.02M | $73.77M |
| FY2020 | $2.91M | $-50.91M | $143.69M | $50.33M |
| FY2021 | $213.01M | $-68.61M | $-108.83M | $66.94M |
| FY2023 | $161.93M | $-112.82M | $-123.64M | $112.46M |
| FY2024 | $268.33M | $-161.10M | $-78.79M | $160.36M |
| FY2025 | $301.28M | $-147.26M | $-22.78M | $146.20M |
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.