Commercial Metals
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 | $136.94M | $-47.26M | $-34.40M | $101.75M |
| FY2015 | $313.46M | $-76.82M | $-180.69M | $119.58M |
| FY2016 | $586.87M | $-153.87M | $-377.72M | $163.33M |
| FY2017 | $-523.28M | $595.16M | $-324.49M | $213.12M |
| FY2018 | $-433.92M | $521.93M | $259.43M | $174.66M |
| FY2019 | $37.00M | $-462.05M | $-13.24M | $138.84M |
| FY2020 | $791.20M | $-192.94M | $-247.79M | $187.62M |
| FY2021 | $228.47M | $-162.13M | $-109.39M | $184.17M |
| FY2022 | $700.31M | $-684.72M | $165.31M | $449.99M |
| FY2023 | $1.34B | $-835.23M | $-599.48M | $606.67M |
| FY2024 | $899.71M | $-323.00M | $-313.76M | $324.27M |
| FY2025 | $715.07M | $-346.77M | $-183.44M | $402.82M |
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.