e.l.f. Beauty
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 | $-8.42M | $-239.49M | $252.57M | $1.60M |
| FY2015 | $24.52M | $-10.24M | $-4.94M | $10.14M |
| FY2016 | $2.12M | $-9.14M | $8.31M | $9.22M |
| FY2017 | $12.38M | $-10.42M | $-7.20M | $7.54M |
| FY2018 | $55.58M | $-8.87M | $-5.56M | $8.87M |
| FY2020 | $44.31M | $-35.35M | $-16.68M | $9.42M |
| FY2021 | $29.48M | $-6.47M | $-11.40M | $6.47M |
| FY2022 | $19.51M | $-4.82M | $-29.11M | $4.82M |
| FY2023 | $101.88M | $-1.72M | $-22.74M | $1.72M |
| FY2024 | $71.15M | $-284.66M | $200.95M | $8.66M |
| FY2025 | $133.84M | $-19.10M | $-74.45M | $18.52M |
| FY2026 | $212.51M | $-605.25M | $533.92M | $22.45M |
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.