CoStar Group
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 | $143.91M | $-605.99M | $733.51M | $27.44M |
| FY2015 | $139.77M | $-215.50M | $-29.03M | $35.06M |
| FY2016 | $200.64M | $-23.26M | $-30.56M | $18.77M |
| FY2017 | $234.70M | $-72.27M | $480.43M | $24.50M |
| FY2018 | $335.46M | $-448.00M | $2.74M | $29.63M |
| FY2019 | $457.78M | $-483.75M | $-4.15M | $0 |
| FY2020 | $486.11M | $-464.16M | $2.66B | $0 |
| FY2021 | $469.70M | $-381.30M | $-15.70M | $123.70M |
| FY2022 | $478.70M | $-69.10M | $734.00M | $35.20M |
| FY2023 | $490.00M | $-239.00M | $-4.00M | $118.00M |
| FY2024 | $393.00M | $-913.00M | $-14.00M | $579.00M |
| FY2025 | $430.00M | $-2.82B | $-559.00M | $307.00M |
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.