FedEx
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | $5.37B | $-5.75B | $1.35B | $4.35B |
| FY2016 | $5.71B | $-9.45B | $3.61B | $4.82B |
| FY2017 | $4.93B | $-4.98B | $528.00M | $5.12B |
| FY2018 | $4.67B | $-5.68B | $227.00M | $5.66B |
| FY2019 | $5.61B | $-5.47B | $-1.04B | $5.49B |
| FY2020 | $5.10B | $-5.85B | $3.38B | $5.87B |
| FY2021 | $10.14B | $-6.01B | $-2.09B | $5.88B |
| FY2022 | $9.83B | $-6.82B | $-3.02B | $6.76B |
| FY2023 | $8.85B | $-6.17B | $-2.60B | $6.17B |
| FY2024 | $8.31B | $-5.20B | $-3.43B | $5.18B |
| FY2025 | $7.04B | $-4.09B | $-4.02B | $4.06B |
| FY2026 | $8.93B | $-3.91B | $2.75B | $3.81B |
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.