Commerce Bancshares
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 | $360.84M | $-1.06B | $533.05M | $43.66M |
| FY2015 | $291.20M | $-1.20B | $306.21M | $31.90M |
| FY2016 | $454.96M | $-805.21M | $649.17M | $24.48M |
| FY2017 | $426.53M | $220.72M | $-924.54M | $30.82M |
| FY2018 | $552.66M | $-91.02M | $223.25M | $33.29M |
| FY2019 | $512.79M | $-730.17M | $-84.06M | $42.58M |
| FY2020 | $623.99M | $-5.39B | $6.07B | $33.13M |
| FY2021 | $597.72M | $-2.08B | $3.57B | $56.72M |
| FY2022 | $559.39M | $242.27M | $-4.20B | $65.19M |
| FY2023 | $488.77M | $2.18B | $-883.12M | $88.07M |
| FY2024 | $577.86M | $483.79M | $-372.94M | $46.13M |
| FY2025 | $645.14M | $-462.37M | $-11.04M | $52.75M |
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.