Comfort Systems USA
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 | $42.55M | $-74.14M | $11.60M | $19.18M |
| FY2015 | $97.87M | $-25.63M | $-47.84M | $20.81M |
| FY2016 | $91.19M | $-79.32M | $-36.26M | $23.22M |
| FY2017 | $114.09M | $-128.97M | $19.35M | $35.47M |
| FY2018 | $147.19M | $-95.71M | $-42.40M | $27.27M |
| FY2019 | $142.03M | $-224.45M | $87.59M | $31.75M |
| FY2020 | $286.51M | $-207.80M | $-74.60M | $24.13M |
| FY2021 | $180.15M | $-246.72M | $70.45M | $22.33M |
| FY2022 | $301.53M | $-97.18M | $-205.92M | $48.36M |
| FY2023 | $639.57M | $-193.01M | $-298.62M | $94.84M |
| FY2024 | $849.06M | $-343.51M | $-160.76M | $111.07M |
| FY2025 | $1.19B | $-467.27M | $-287.13M | $154.90M |
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.