Encore Capital Group, Inc.
S&P 600
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 | $111.54M | $-755.20M | $626.32M | $23.08M |
| FY2015 | $116.15M | $-472.71M | $400.12M | $28.62M |
| FY2016 | $130.33M | $-168.79M | $43.25M | $31.67M |
| FY2017 | $123.82M | $-452.13M | $378.22M | $28.13M |
| FY2018 | $186.79M | $-397.52M | $166.38M | $67.48M |
| FY2019 | $244.73M | $-202.33M | $-19.77M | $39.60M |
| FY2020 | $312.86M | $82.83M | $-403.20M | $34.60M |
| FY2021 | $303.05M | $339.90M | $-655.69M | $33.37M |
| FY2022 | $210.68M | $-130.24M | $-107.45M | $37.22M |
| FY2023 | $152.99M | $-401.94M | $268.30M | $24.81M |
| FY2024 | $156.17M | $-440.43M | $317.77M | $29.01M |
| FY2025 | $153.20M | $-242.59M | $44.85M | $26.27M |
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.