Cracker Barrel
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $177.63M | $-88.82M | $-91.17M | $91.65M |
| FY2015 | $334.06M | $-88.61M | $-99.35M | $90.86M |
| FY2016 | $271.38M | $-112.52M | $-273.35M | $114.02M |
| FY2017 | $320.77M | $-109.61M | $-201.13M | $110.59M |
| FY2018 | $330.62M | $-151.22M | $-225.74M | $152.25M |
| FY2019 | $362.80M | $-241.57M | $-198.99M | $138.29M |
| FY2020 | $161.00M | $-157.23M | $396.34M | $297.33M |
| FY2021 | $301.90M | $78.33M | $-672.64M | $71.41M |
| FY2022 | $205.25M | $-98.50M | $-206.24M | $98.34M |
| FY2023 | $250.46M | $-124.32M | $-146.10M | $126.99M |
| FY2024 | $168.98M | $-124.33M | $-57.77M | $128.30M |
| FY2025 | $218.90M | $-156.70M | $-34.59M | $159.14M |
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.