Cognizant
S&P 500
Nasdaq 100
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 | $1.47B | $-3.16B | $1.50B | $212.00M |
| FY2015 | $2.19B | $-1.37B | $-682.00M | $273.00M |
| FY2016 | $1.65B | $-963.00M | $-743.00M | $300.00M |
| FY2017 | $2.41B | $-582.00M | $-1.99B | $284.00M |
| FY2018 | $2.59B | $-1.63B | $-1.69B | $377.00M |
| FY2019 | $2.50B | $1.59B | $-2.57B | $392.00M |
| FY2020 | $3.30B | $-1.24B | $-2.01B | $398.00M |
| FY2021 | $2.50B | $-2.16B | $-1.20B | $279.00M |
| FY2022 | $2.57B | $-106.00M | $-1.94B | $332.00M |
| FY2023 | $2.33B | $-331.00M | $-1.61B | $317.00M |
| FY2024 | $2.12B | $-1.65B | $-915.00M | $297.00M |
| FY2025 | $2.88B | $-230.00M | $-2.27B | $288.00M |
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.