C.H. Robinson
S&P 500
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 | $513.43M | $-388.90M | $-143.64M | $22.36M |
| FY2015 | $718.34M | $-54.45M | $-607.74M | $28.12M |
| FY2016 | $529.41M | $-312.99M | $-127.30M | $73.45M |
| FY2017 | $384.00M | $-107.53M | $-202.13M | $40.12M |
| FY2018 | $792.90M | $-72.81M | $-655.18M | $45.00M |
| FY2019 | $835.42M | $-113.03M | $-651.25M | $36.29M |
| FY2020 | $499.19M | $-271.71M | $-440.67M | $23.13M |
| FY2021 | $94.96M | $-85.67M | $7.57M | $34.20M |
| FY2022 | $1.65B | $-64.92M | $-1.62B | $61.92M |
| FY2023 | $731.95M | $-82.79M | $-717.83M | $29.99M |
| FY2024 | $509.08M | $-74.29M | $-416.10M | $22.65M |
| FY2025 | $914.52M | $-54.67M | $-862.75M | $19.63M |
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.