Dolby
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 | $361.55M | $-204.94M | $-40.58M | $75.36M |
| FY2015 | $309.38M | $-203.60M | $-138.52M | $157.53M |
| FY2016 | $360.06M | $-282.50M | $-91.99M | $100.76M |
| FY2017 | $377.79M | $-158.03M | $-106.83M | $99.62M |
| FY2018 | $352.20M | $78.09M | $-133.63M | $72.81M |
| FY2019 | $327.67M | $-56.23M | $-385.28M | $96.28M |
| FY2020 | $343.85M | $134.37M | $-207.78M | $66.35M |
| FY2021 | $447.75M | $-44.91M | $-252.52M | $54.45M |
| FY2022 | $318.58M | $-295.94M | $-610.56M | $47.93M |
| FY2023 | $367.08M | $54.21M | $-236.81M | $30.34M |
| FY2024 | $327.25M | $-286.29M | $-287.81M | $30.01M |
| FY2025 | $472.20M | $-10.59M | $-247.24M | $36.35M |
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.