Ford Motor Company
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 | $14.51B | $-21.12B | $3.42B | $7.46B |
| FY2015 | $16.23B | $-26.16B | $14.27B | $7.20B |
| FY2016 | $19.85B | $-25.30B | $7.40B | $6.99B |
| FY2017 | $18.10B | $-19.36B | $3.39B | $7.05B |
| FY2018 | $15.02B | $-16.26B | $-122.00M | $7.79B |
| FY2019 | $17.64B | $-13.72B | $-3.13B | $7.63B |
| FY2020 | $24.27B | $-18.62B | $2.32B | $5.74B |
| FY2021 | $15.79B | $2.75B | $-23.50B | $6.23B |
| FY2022 | $6.85B | $-4.35B | $2.51B | $6.87B |
| FY2023 | $14.92B | $-17.63B | $2.58B | $8.24B |
| FY2024 | $15.42B | $-24.37B | $7.49B | $8.68B |
| FY2025 | $21.28B | $-18.05B | $-3.21B | $8.82B |
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.