Ecolab
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 | $1.82B | $-848.30M | $-1.07B | $748.70M |
| FY2015 | $2.00B | $-915.80M | $-1.15B | $771.00M |
| FY2016 | $1.94B | $-773.60M | $-868.20M | $756.80M |
| FY2017 | $2.09B | $-1.73B | $-522.70M | $868.60M |
| FY2018 | $2.28B | $-1.03B | $-1.17B | $778.70M |
| FY2019 | $2.42B | $-1.20B | $-1.35B | $731.30M |
| FY2020 | $1.86B | $-414.50M | $-341.80M | $489.00M |
| FY2021 | $2.06B | $-4.58B | $1.60B | $643.00M |
| FY2022 | $1.79B | $-716.80M | $-837.30M | $712.80M |
| FY2023 | $2.41B | $-990.50M | $-1.05B | $774.80M |
| FY2024 | $2.81B | $-433.80M | $-2.02B | $994.50M |
| FY2025 | $2.95B | $-2.71B | $-853.30M | $1.05B |
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.