Charles River Laboratories
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 | $252.13M | $-297.99M | $61.41M | $56.93M |
| FY2015 | $306.83M | $-327.62M | $-7.26M | $63.25M |
| FY2016 | $316.90M | $-692.67M | $380.76M | $55.29M |
| FY2017 | $318.07M | $-72.59M | $-208.48M | $82.43M |
| FY2018 | $441.14M | $-955.00M | $558.06M | $140.05M |
| FY2019 | $480.94M | $-681.50M | $231.94M | $140.51M |
| FY2020 | $546.58M | $-601.54M | $47.25M | $166.56M |
| FY2021 | $760.80M | $-1.44B | $672.60M | $228.77M |
| FY2022 | $619.64M | $-607.92M | $-42.40M | $324.73M |
| FY2023 | $683.90M | $-563.16M | $-85.52M | $318.53M |
| FY2024 | $734.58M | $-245.09M | $-550.93M | $232.97M |
| FY2025 | $737.65M | $-209.32M | $-536.73M | $219.15M |
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.