Cognex
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 | $163.84M | $-104.10M | $-42.74M | $20.93M |
| FY2015 | $128.33M | $-10.55M | $-116.83M | $18.23M |
| FY2016 | $182.08M | $-121.83M | $-29.23M | $12.82M |
| FY2017 | $224.32M | $-105.56M | $-100.12M | $28.75M |
| FY2018 | $223.45M | $-10.83M | $-209.90M | $37.10M |
| FY2019 | $253.31M | $-157.34M | $-32.23M | $21.75M |
| FY2020 | $242.40M | $169.44M | $-316.87M | $13.30M |
| FY2021 | $314.07M | $-252.54M | $-141.62M | $15.46M |
| FY2022 | $243.41M | $-4.45M | $-240.37M | $19.67M |
| FY2023 | $112.92M | $32.27M | $-125.61M | $23.08M |
| FY2024 | $149.08M | $-38.97M | $-118.42M | $15.04M |
| FY2025 | $245.51M | $28.02M | $-206.69M | $8.74M |
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.