Chefs' Warehouse, 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 | $9.80M | $-23.67M | $-2.70M | $24.21M |
| FY2015 | $37.73M | $-129.30M | $91.05M | $21.66M |
| FY2016 | $38.91M | $-35.82M | $27.24M | $16.62M |
| FY2017 | $31.50M | $-42.41M | $19.43M | $12.31M |
| FY2018 | $45.08M | $-33.69M | $-10.44M | $19.82M |
| FY2019 | $45.01M | $-44.15M | $96.95M | $16.08M |
| FY2020 | $42.88M | $-67.97M | $78.06M | $7.04M |
| FY2021 | $-19.90M | $-48.99M | $-9.22M | $38.80M |
| FY2022 | $23.13M | $-232.02M | $253.22M | $45.85M |
| FY2023 | $61.64M | $-179.31M | $9.01M | $57.43M |
| FY2024 | $153.06M | $-49.82M | $-38.48M | $49.51M |
| FY2025 | $129.22M | $-46.76M | $-76.22M | $41.43M |
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.