Five Below
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | $61.43M | $-32.32M | $-16.11M | $32.32M |
| FY2016 | $87.91M | $-99.39M | $1.38M | $53.06M |
| FY2017 | $106.62M | $-86.76M | $3.15M | $44.79M |
| FY2018 | $167.38M | $-139.15M | $8.35M | $67.80M |
| FY2019 | $184.13M | $-39.47M | $-5.58M | $113.72M |
| FY2020 | $187.03M | $-193.58M | $-42.71M | $212.30M |
| FY2021 | $365.97M | $-286.89M | $-12.78M | $200.19M |
| FY2022 | $327.91M | $-465.60M | $-66.13M | $288.17M |
| FY2023 | $314.93M | $-3.94M | $-43.64M | $251.95M |
| FY2024 | $499.62M | $-556.34M | $-95.86M | $335.05M |
| FY2025 | $430.65M | $-232.94M | $-45.74M | $323.99M |
| FY2026 | $586.43M | $-186.18M | $-8.27M | $174.74M |
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.