Cogent Communications Holdings, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $73.05M | $-59.94M | $-26.63M | $60.03M |
| FY2015 | $83.81M | $-35.47M | $-128.85M | $35.58M |
| FY2016 | $107.97M | $-45.23M | $8.34M | $45.23M |
| FY2017 | $111.70M | $-45.80M | $-97.27M | $45.80M |
| FY2018 | $133.92M | $-49.94M | $-52.55M | $49.94M |
| FY2019 | $148.81M | $-46.96M | $22.02M | $46.96M |
| FY2020 | $140.32M | $-55.95M | $-116.00M | $55.95M |
| FY2021 | $170.26M | $-69.92M | $-140.83M | $69.92M |
| FY2022 | $173.71M | $-78.97M | $-144.85M | $78.97M |
| FY2023 | $17.35M | $76.73M | $-257.85M | $129.63M |
| FY2024 | $-8.65M | $21.49M | $105.93M | $195.00M |
| FY2025 | $-10.58M | $-87.57M | $62.90M | $187.57M |
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.