Capital One
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 | $9.30B | $-15.99B | $7.64B | $502.00M |
| FY2015 | $10.13B | $-29.73B | $21.16B | $532.00M |
| FY2016 | $11.86B | $-25.63B | $17.23B | $779.00M |
| FY2017 | $14.18B | $-15.54B | $3.22B | $1.02B |
| FY2018 | $12.98B | $-15.62B | $1.78B | $874.00M |
| FY2019 | $16.64B | $-23.00B | $6.62B | $887.00M |
| FY2020 | $16.70B | $-14.84B | $25.16B | $710.00M |
| FY2021 | $12.31B | $-31.50B | $474.00M | $698.00M |
| FY2022 | $13.81B | $-29.74B | $25.13B | $934.00M |
| FY2023 | $20.58B | $-21.92B | $13.84B | $961.00M |
| FY2024 | $18.16B | $-26.41B | $8.17B | $1.20B |
| FY2025 | $27.72B | $-444.00M | $-8.85B | $1.58B |
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.