Columbia Sportswear
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 | $185.78M | $-184.03M | $-14.55M | $60.28M |
| FY2015 | $95.11M | $-43.00M | $-91.25M | $69.92M |
| FY2016 | $275.17M | $-49.89M | $-42.02M | $49.99M |
| FY2017 | $341.13M | $-147.78M | $-84.40M | $53.35M |
| FY2018 | $289.57M | $-232.23M | $-270.01M | $65.62M |
| FY2019 | $285.45M | $140.73M | $-190.72M | $123.52M |
| FY2020 | $276.08M | $-27.17M | $-151.70M | $28.76M |
| FY2021 | $354.41M | $-163.75M | $-210.89M | $34.74M |
| FY2022 | $-25.24M | $72.74M | $-360.83M | $58.47M |
| FY2023 | $636.30M | $-461.82M | $-254.79M | $54.61M |
| FY2024 | $491.04M | $87.33M | $-386.24M | $59.81M |
| FY2025 | $282.90M | $-120.72M | $-267.12M | $66.17M |
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.